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Volume 1, Issue 1
Sodium Electron Solvation and Reactivity at Water Surface

Hui Dong & Yuxiang Bu

Commun. Comput. Chem., 1 (2025), pp. 13-23.

Published online: 2025-04

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  • Abstract

Interfacial solvated electrons (${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s$) possess profound application values in physics, chemistry, and materials, thus attracting ever-growing attention. Although previous studies have unequivocally corroborated the involvement of ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s$ in the reaction of alkali metals with water, the mechanism has not been thoroughly revealed. Here, we simulate the solvation and ionization process of a single Na or a metallic ${\rm Na}_8$ cluster at the vacuum-liquid interface by the hybrid functional-based $ab$ initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method, especially to elucidate the interfacial electron dynamics behavior. Results show that the electron donated by Na or ${\rm Na}_8$ is partially solvated at the interface, a process driven by both the ${\rm Na}^+$ interaction with the electron and its stabilization in water, which promotes electron redistribution, delocalization, and activation. Additionally, solvation increases the $H_2O$ population near HOMO and on unoccupied orbitals, promoting $H_2O$ reorganization and electron transfer. In aqueous solutions, Na is highly ionized and generates a unique pre-solvated electron (${\rm e}^-_{{\rm pre}}$). ${\rm Na}_8$ cluster, on the other hand, is partially solvated through bottom active O-coordinating sites at the interface, polarizes internally, and produces a pre-solvated dielectron (${\rm e}^{2-}_{2 \ {\rm pre}}$), which is followed by $H_2O$ reorganization near the surface and the subsequent hydrogen evolution reaction by proton-coupled electron transfer. Surrounding $H_2O$ molecules form multiple Na-O bonds with the remaining ${\rm Na}^{2+}_8$ to compensate for ${\rm e}^{2-}_{2 \ {\rm pre}}$ loss. Our work displays the microscopic dynamics mechanism of Na and $H_2O$ reaction by AIMD simulation and provides evidence for the participation of ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm pre}}s$ in the hydrogen evolution reaction, which deepens our attention and understanding of redox reactions involving ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s.$

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@Article{CiCC-1-13, author = {Dong , Hui and Bu , Yuxiang}, title = {Sodium Electron Solvation and Reactivity at Water Surface}, journal = {Communications in Computational Chemistry}, year = {2025}, volume = {1}, number = {1}, pages = {13--23}, abstract = {

Interfacial solvated electrons (${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s$) possess profound application values in physics, chemistry, and materials, thus attracting ever-growing attention. Although previous studies have unequivocally corroborated the involvement of ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s$ in the reaction of alkali metals with water, the mechanism has not been thoroughly revealed. Here, we simulate the solvation and ionization process of a single Na or a metallic ${\rm Na}_8$ cluster at the vacuum-liquid interface by the hybrid functional-based $ab$ initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method, especially to elucidate the interfacial electron dynamics behavior. Results show that the electron donated by Na or ${\rm Na}_8$ is partially solvated at the interface, a process driven by both the ${\rm Na}^+$ interaction with the electron and its stabilization in water, which promotes electron redistribution, delocalization, and activation. Additionally, solvation increases the $H_2O$ population near HOMO and on unoccupied orbitals, promoting $H_2O$ reorganization and electron transfer. In aqueous solutions, Na is highly ionized and generates a unique pre-solvated electron (${\rm e}^-_{{\rm pre}}$). ${\rm Na}_8$ cluster, on the other hand, is partially solvated through bottom active O-coordinating sites at the interface, polarizes internally, and produces a pre-solvated dielectron (${\rm e}^{2-}_{2 \ {\rm pre}}$), which is followed by $H_2O$ reorganization near the surface and the subsequent hydrogen evolution reaction by proton-coupled electron transfer. Surrounding $H_2O$ molecules form multiple Na-O bonds with the remaining ${\rm Na}^{2+}_8$ to compensate for ${\rm e}^{2-}_{2 \ {\rm pre}}$ loss. Our work displays the microscopic dynamics mechanism of Na and $H_2O$ reaction by AIMD simulation and provides evidence for the participation of ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm pre}}s$ in the hydrogen evolution reaction, which deepens our attention and understanding of redox reactions involving ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s.$

}, issn = {2617-8575}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.4208/cicc.2025.26.01}, url = {http://global-sci.org/intro/article_detail/cicc/24044.html} }
TY - JOUR T1 - Sodium Electron Solvation and Reactivity at Water Surface AU - Dong , Hui AU - Bu , Yuxiang JO - Communications in Computational Chemistry VL - 1 SP - 13 EP - 23 PY - 2025 DA - 2025/04 SN - 1 DO - http://doi.org/10.4208/cicc.2025.26.01 UR - https://global-sci.org/intro/article_detail/cicc/24044.html KW - Interface electron solvation, solvated electron, reactivity, proton-coupled electron transfer, $ab$ initio molecular dynamics simulation. AB -

Interfacial solvated electrons (${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s$) possess profound application values in physics, chemistry, and materials, thus attracting ever-growing attention. Although previous studies have unequivocally corroborated the involvement of ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s$ in the reaction of alkali metals with water, the mechanism has not been thoroughly revealed. Here, we simulate the solvation and ionization process of a single Na or a metallic ${\rm Na}_8$ cluster at the vacuum-liquid interface by the hybrid functional-based $ab$ initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method, especially to elucidate the interfacial electron dynamics behavior. Results show that the electron donated by Na or ${\rm Na}_8$ is partially solvated at the interface, a process driven by both the ${\rm Na}^+$ interaction with the electron and its stabilization in water, which promotes electron redistribution, delocalization, and activation. Additionally, solvation increases the $H_2O$ population near HOMO and on unoccupied orbitals, promoting $H_2O$ reorganization and electron transfer. In aqueous solutions, Na is highly ionized and generates a unique pre-solvated electron (${\rm e}^-_{{\rm pre}}$). ${\rm Na}_8$ cluster, on the other hand, is partially solvated through bottom active O-coordinating sites at the interface, polarizes internally, and produces a pre-solvated dielectron (${\rm e}^{2-}_{2 \ {\rm pre}}$), which is followed by $H_2O$ reorganization near the surface and the subsequent hydrogen evolution reaction by proton-coupled electron transfer. Surrounding $H_2O$ molecules form multiple Na-O bonds with the remaining ${\rm Na}^{2+}_8$ to compensate for ${\rm e}^{2-}_{2 \ {\rm pre}}$ loss. Our work displays the microscopic dynamics mechanism of Na and $H_2O$ reaction by AIMD simulation and provides evidence for the participation of ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm pre}}s$ in the hydrogen evolution reaction, which deepens our attention and understanding of redox reactions involving ${\rm e}^-_{{\rm sol}}s.$

Dong , Hui and Bu , Yuxiang. (2025). Sodium Electron Solvation and Reactivity at Water Surface. Communications in Computational Chemistry. 1 (1). 13-23. doi:10.4208/cicc.2025.26.01
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