Charge Dependence of Temperature-Driven Phase Transitions of Molecular Nanoclusters: Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Abstract

Phase transitions (liquid-solid, solid-solid) triggered by temperature changes are studied in free nanosized clusters of TeF_6 (SF_6) with different negative charges assigned to the fluorine atoms. Molecular dynamics simulations at constant energy show that the charge increase from q_F=0.1 e to q_F=0.25 e shifts the melting temperature towards higher values and some of the metastable solid states disappear. The increased repulsive interaction maintains the order in molecular systems at higher temperatures.