Effects of temperature on the thermodynamic and dynamical properties of glycerol-water mixtures: a computer simulation study of three different force fields.

Glycerol-water solutions are relevant in technological and scientific applications, such as in the preservation of biomolecules and tissues at low temperatures. We perform molecular dynamics simulations of glycerol-water mixtures with glycerol molar fractions of χg = 0-100% at P = 0.1 MPa and T = 210-460 K. We focus on the effects of temperature and concentration on the thermodynamic (density ρ, thermal expansion coefficient αP, isobaric specific heat cP, compressibility κT) and dynamical (glycerol and water diffusion coefficients, Dg and Dw) properties of the mixtures. In particular, we test the sensitivity of computer simulation results to the glycerol force field and water model (TIP3P and TIP4P/2005) employed. All mixture models underestimate ρ at high T and tend to overestimate ρ at low T; only the mixture model based on TIP4P/2005 water exhibits a density maximum at low χg, as expected. All models overestimate αP, cP, and κT; they are able to reproduce qualitatively the T dependence of αP and κT but fail in the case of cP. In all cases, Dg and Dw follow the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation and decouple at low T, with Dw/Dg increasing upon cooling. Overall, the mixture based on TIP4P/2005 water provides better thermodynamic and dynamical properties than the mixtures based on TIP3P water, even at χg = 20%.