Molecular dynamics insights into the Debye process of 1-propanol

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hénot, Marceau, Gabriel, Jan Philipp
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Hénot, Marceau
Gabriel, Jan Philipp
author_facet Hénot, Marceau
Gabriel, Jan Philipp
contents We reproduce the Debye process in the dielectric response of liquid 1-propanol by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations between 340 K and 200 K. The analysis of dipolar correlations reveals that the $α$ relaxation originates from hydrogen-bond (HB) breaking, while the dominant Debye process results from long-ranged cross-correlations extending over several molecular diameters. By separating intra- and extra-cluster contributions, we demonstrate that HB supramolecular clusters account for the main part of the static dielectric response, with extra-cluster molecules playing only a minor role at low temperatures. Besides, clusters do not preserve connectivity on timescales exceeding the $α$ relaxation time. This indicates that clusters stabilize orientational correlations beyond individual molecular relaxation times by transmitting alignment to newly incorporated molecules. These findings provide microscopic evidence that the Debye relaxation in mono-alcohols arises from the collective dynamics of HB clusters and offer a framework to study dielectric spectra in other hydrogen-bonded liquids.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_26588
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Molecular dynamics insights into the Debye process of 1-propanol
Hénot, Marceau
Gabriel, Jan Philipp
Soft Condensed Matter
We reproduce the Debye process in the dielectric response of liquid 1-propanol by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations between 340 K and 200 K. The analysis of dipolar correlations reveals that the $α$ relaxation originates from hydrogen-bond (HB) breaking, while the dominant Debye process results from long-ranged cross-correlations extending over several molecular diameters. By separating intra- and extra-cluster contributions, we demonstrate that HB supramolecular clusters account for the main part of the static dielectric response, with extra-cluster molecules playing only a minor role at low temperatures. Besides, clusters do not preserve connectivity on timescales exceeding the $α$ relaxation time. This indicates that clusters stabilize orientational correlations beyond individual molecular relaxation times by transmitting alignment to newly incorporated molecules. These findings provide microscopic evidence that the Debye relaxation in mono-alcohols arises from the collective dynamics of HB clusters and offer a framework to study dielectric spectra in other hydrogen-bonded liquids.
title Molecular dynamics insights into the Debye process of 1-propanol
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.26588