Molecular dynamics simulations of H₂ adsorption in tetramethyl ammonium lithium phthalocyanine crystalline structures

Tetramethyl ammonium lithium phthaloeyanine is explored as a potential material for storage of molecular hydrogen. Density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the molecular structure and the dimer conformation. Additional scans performed to determine the interactions of a H₂ molecule located at various distances from the molecular sites are used to generate a simple force field including dipole-induced-dipole interactions. This force field is employed in molecular dynamics simulations to calculate adsorption isotherms at various pressures. The regions of strongest adsorption are quantified as functions of temperature, pressure, and separation between molecules in the adsorbent phase, and compared to the regions of strongest binding energy as given by the proposed force field. It is found that the total adsorption could not be predicted only from the spatial distribution of the strongest binding energies; the available volume is the other contributing factor even if the volume includes regions of much lower binding energy. The results suggest that the complex anion is primarily involved in the adsorption process with molecular hydrogen, whereas the cation serves to provide access for hydrogen adsorption in both sides of the anion molecular plane, and spacing between the planes.