The aggregation behavior of asphaltene
in aqueous solution is systematically
investigated based on a classical molecular dynamics study. In this
work, a novel approach is adopted in order to investigate the structural
and dynamical properties of the asphaltene nanoaggregates using different
water models. The end-to-end distance of the asphaltene molecule is
probed in order to understand the aggregation behavior in aqueous
solution. The accuracy of different water models, that is, simple
point charge, TIP4P-D, and TIP5P, is thoroughly investigated. In order
to probe the dynamical properties of the asphaltene nanoaggregates,
the transport coefficients, namely, diffusion coefficient and shear
viscosity, are computed. The obtained results highlight the importance
of using the appropriate water model in order to accurately study
the aggregation behavior of asphaltene in aqueous solution.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.