Molecular simulations: From fundamental principles to applications in gaseous pollutant control

Abstract

Removing gaseous pollutants from the environment is crucial for mitigating air pollution and safeguarding public health. Conventional laboratory methods for gaseous pollutant removal face significant challenges, including complex experimental setups, limited scalability, and difficulties in capturing molecular-level interactions under real-world conditions. Molecular simulations have emerged as a powerful tool to address these issues, with ongoing research focusing on improving computational efficiency and force field accuracy to model diverse pollutants and materials. These methods predict the absorption properties of gaseous pollutants, offering detailed insights at the molecular level that are challenging to achieve experimentally. This research begins by discussing the theory underlying molecular simulation methods, highlighting their relevance in understanding gas-solid interactions. Various absorbents' physical and chemical properties are analyzed, focusing on their effectiveness in trapping and neutralizing harmful gases. The study also examines the influence of molecular simulations in determining key transfer properties, such as permeability, solubility, and selectivity, which enhance the design and optimization of absorbent materials. The importance of this research lies in its potential to predict the removal efficiency of gaseous pollutants, providing valuable tools for developing effective pollution control strategies. This approach advances the understanding of gas absorption mechanisms and profoundly impacts the development of innovative solutions for environmental protection. By reviewing past achievements, present applications, and future directions, this article underscores the transformative role of molecular simulations in accelerating the development of novel materials for efficient gaseous pollutant control.