Electrostatic Potential within the Free Volume Space of Imidazole-Based Solvents: Insights into Gas Absorption Selectivity

In this work, a variety of molecular simulation tools are used to help characterize the selective absorption of CO2 and CH4 in imidazole-based solvents. We focus our efforts on a series of 1-n-alkyl-2-methyl-imidazoles and ether-functionalized imidazoles, over a temperature range from 293 to 353 K, and we perform detailed analysis of the free volume. We find that the electrostatic potential within the solvent free volume cavities provides a useful indication of the selective absorption of CO2 and CH4. The electrostatic potential calculation is significantly faster than the direct calculation of the chemical potential, and tests with the 1-n-alkyl-2-methyl-imidazoles and the ether-functionalized imidazoles indicate that may be a useful screening tool for other solvents.