All-atom
molecular dynamics simulations are used to understand
the structural and thermodynamic behavior of water in a biphasic system
composed of a brine solution in contact with two different amine-based
solvents, diisopropylamine (DiPA) and tripropylamine. As compared
to the bulk brine solution, the biphasic system leads to significant
salt aggregation and crystallization, and this behavior is observed
over a relatively broad range of temperatures, from 278 to 343 K.
In general, there are stronger hydrogen bond interactions between
DiPA and water, leading to more favorable solvation and reduced diffusion
rates. Detailed analysis of the solvation behavior is provided by
using thermodynamic integration to calculate the free energy of water
solvation in different brine and solvent mixtures. This also indicates
a stronger interaction of water with the DiPA solvent, and this occurs
mainly via interactions of the oxygen atoms in water with the nitrogen
atoms of the solvent molecules. Overall, the structural and thermodynamic
analyses in this study provide a better molecular-level understanding
of solvent-based desalination of high-salinity brines.