Structure and dynamics of forsterite–scCO2/H2O interfaces as a function of water content

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of forsterite surfaces in contact with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) fluids of varying water content were performed to determine the partition of water between the scCO2 fluid and the mineral surface, the nature of CO2 and H2O bonding at the interface, and the regions of the interface that may be conducive to HxCO3(2-x)- formation. Calculations of the free energy of the associative adsorption of water onto the (0 1 0) forsterite surface from the scCO2 phase indicated that the formation of a water film up to three-monolayer thick can be exothermic even for water contents below the water saturation concentration of the scCO2 fluid. In MD simulations of scCO2/H2O mixtures in contact with the (0 1 0) forsterite surface, H2O was found to readily displace CO2 at the surface and, therefore, CO2 directly contacted the surface only for water coverages below two monolayers. For thicker water films, a two-monolayer hydration layer formed that CO2 could not penetrate. The MD simulations thus suggest that, in the presence of sufficient water, HxCO3(2-x)- formation occurs in the water films and not via direct reaction of CO2 with the forsterite surface. Simulations of the hydroxylated (0 1 0) surface and of the (0 1 1) surface suggested that this conclusion can be extended to forsterite surfaces with different surface structures and/or compositions. The density, diffusion, and degree of hydration of CO2 as well as the extent of CO2/H2O mixing at the interface were all predicted to depend strongly on the thickness of the water-rich film, i.e., on the water content of the scCO2 fluid.