Statistical Thermodynamic Derivation

The preceding derivation, being based on a definite mechanical picture, is easy to follow intuitively kinetic derivations of an equilibrium relationship suffer from a common disadvantage, namely, that they usually assume more than is necessary. It is quite possible to obtain the Langmuir equation (as well as other adsorption isotherm equations) from examination of the statistical thermodynamics of the two states involved. 

The following derivation is modified from that of Fowler and Guggenheim [10,11]. The adsorbed molecules are considered to differ from gaseous ones in that their potential energy and local partition function (see Section XVI-4A) have been modified and that, instead of possessing normal translational motion, they are confined to localized sites without any interactions between adjacent molecules but with an adsorption energy Q. 

Since translational and internal energy (of rotation and vibration) are independent, the partition function for the gas can be written 

Of these, A are indistinguishable since the molecules are not labeled, and the complete partition function for N molecules becomes 

The Helmholtz free energy of the adsorbed layer is given by -it Tin (Eq. XVl-20), and with the use of Stirling s approximation for factorials x = (x/ef one obtains 

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In the following sections we will see how temperature, entropy, and free energy are statistical properties that emerge in systems composed of large numbers of particles. In Chapter 12, the appendix to this book, we dig more deeply into statistical thermodynamics, derive a set of statistical laws that are used in this chapter, and show how Equation (1.1) - the fundamental equation of macroscopic thermodynamics - is in fact a statistical consequence of more fundamental principles operating at the microscopic level. 

For example, Lu and Jiang showed [100], based on a statistical thermodynamic derivation in which some of the parameters of the model were calibrated by using experimental data, that the approximation in Equation 6.20 can be made for polymers with a vinyl-type chain backbone, where Coo(Tg) is the value of the characteristic ratio at Tg. C, which will be discussed in Chapter 12, depends both on polymer chain stereoregularity and on the temperature. Direct applications of the method which will be presented in Chapter 12 for its prediction as a function... 

In the statistical thermodynamic derivation of the equations of state, the L-J potential is usually written as... 

Classical thennodynamics deals with the interconversion of energy in all its forms including mechanical, thermal and electrical. Helmholtz [1], Gibbs [2,3] and others defined state functions such as enthalpy, heat content and entropy to handle these relationships. State functions describe closed energy states/systems in which the energy conversions occur in equilibrium, reversible paths so that energy is conserved. These notions are more fully described below. State functions were described in Appendix 2A however, statistical thermodynamics derived state functions from statistical arguments based on molecular parameters rather than from basic definitions as summarized below. 

At first the BET equation was derived from the kinetic considerations analogous to those proposed by Langmuir while deriving the monomolecular adsorption isotherm. First, statistical thermodynamic derivation was carried out by Cassie [123]. Lately, a slightly modified derivation has been proposed by HiU [124-126], Fowler and Guggenheim [127]. 

Jaroniec presented a statistical thermodynamic derivation of the Jovanovic equation using generalized ensemble theory. The final result may be written in the form ... 

The partition function is defined in terms of the different possible energies of the individual particles in a system. The developers of statistical thermodynamics derived their equations without an understanding of the quantum theory of nature. But now, we recognize that atomic and molecular behavior is described by quantum mechanics, and our development of statistical thermodynamics must recognize that. It is why we have put off a discussion of statistical thermodynamics until after our treatment of quantum mechanics. 

By the standard methods of statistical thermodynamics it is possible to derive for certain entropy changes general formulas that cannot be derived from the zeroth, first, and second laws of classical thermodynamics. In particular one can obtain formulae for entropy changes in highly di.sperse systems, for those in very cold systems, and for those associated, with the mixing ofvery similar substances. 

Thermodynamically Consistent Isotherm Models. These models include both the statistical thermodynamic models and the models that can be derived from an assumed equation of state for the adsorbed phase plus the thermodynamics of the adsorbed phase, ie, the Gibbs adsorption isotherm,... 

MaxweU-Boltzmaim particles are distinguishable, and a partition function, or distribution, of these particles can be derived from classical considerations. Real systems exist in which individual particles ate indistinguishable. Eor example, individual electrons in a soHd metal do not maintain positional proximity to specific atoms. These electrons obey Eermi-Ditac statistics (133). In contrast, the quantum effects observed for most normal gases can be correlated with Bose-Einstein statistics (117). The approach to statistical thermodynamics described thus far is referred to as wave mechanics. An equivalent quantum theory is referred to as matrix mechanics (134—136). 

This volume also contains four appendices. The appendices give the mathematical foundation for the thermodynamic derivations (Appendix 1), describe the ITS-90 temperature scale (Appendix 2), describe equations of state for gases (Appendix 3), and summarize the relationships and data needed for calculating thermodynamic properties from statistical mechanics (Appendix 4). We believe that they will prove useful to students and practicing scientists alike. 

To understand how collision theory has been derived, we need to know the velocity distribution of molecules at a given temperature, as it is given by the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. To use transition state theory we need the partition functions that follow from the Boltzmann distribution. Hence, we must devote a section of this chapter to statistical thermodynamics. 

By applying the machinery of statistical thermodynamics we have derived expressions for the adsorption, reaction, and desorption of molecules on and from a surface. The rate constants can in each case be described as a ratio between partition functions of the transition state and the reactants. Below, we summarize the most important results for elementary surface reactions. In principle, all the important constants involved (prefactors and activation energies) can be calculated from the partitions functions. These are, however, not easily obtainable and, where possible, experimentally determined values are used. 

The formal thermodynamic analogy existing between an ideal rubber and an ideal gas carries over to the statistical derivation of the force of retraction of stretched rubber, which we undertake in this section. This derivation parallels so closely the statistical-thermodynamic deduction of the pressure of a perfect gas that it seems worth while to set forth the latter briefly here for the purpose of illustrating clearly the subsequent derivation of the basic relations of rubber elasticity theory. 

Vibrational spectroscopy is of utmost importance in many areas of chemical research and the application of electronic structure methods for the calculation of harmonic frequencies has been of great value for the interpretation of complex experimental spectra. Numerous unusual molecules have been identified by comparison of computed and observed frequencies. Another standard use of harmonic frequencies in first principles computations is the derivation of thermochemical and kinetic data by statistical thermodynamics for which the frequencies are an important ingredient (see, e. g., Hehre et al. 1986). The theoretical evaluation of harmonic vibrational frequencies is efficiently done in modem programs by evaluation of analytic second derivatives of the total energy with respect to cartesian coordinates (see, e. g., Johnson and Frisch, 1994, for the corresponding DFT implementation and Stratman etal., 1997, for further developments). Alternatively, if the second derivatives are not available analytically, they are obtained by numerical differentiation of analytic first derivatives (i. e., by evaluating gradient differences obtained after finite displacements of atomic coordinates). In the past two decades, most of these calculations have been carried... 

We present a molecular theory of hydration that now makes possible a unification of these diverse views of the role of water in protein stabilization. The central element in our development is the potential distribution theorem. We discuss both its physical basis and statistical thermodynamic framework with applications to protein solution thermodynamics and protein folding in mind. To this end, we also derive an extension of the potential distribution theorem, the quasi-chemical theory, and propose its implementation to the hydration of folded and unfolded proteins. Our perspective and current optimism are justified by the understanding we have gained from successful applications of the potential distribution theorem to the hydration of simple solutes. A few examples are given to illustrate this point. 

With applications to protein solution thermodynamics in mind, we now present an alternative derivation of the potential distribution theorem. Consider a macroscopic solution consisting of the solute of interest and the solvent. We describe a macroscopic subsystem of this solution based on the grand canonical ensemble of statistical thermodynamics, accordingly specified by a temperature, a volume, and chemical potentials for all solution species including the solute of interest, which is identified with a subscript index 1. The average number of solute molecules in this subsystem is... 

There are three approaches that may be used in deriving mathematical expressions for an adsorption isotherm. The first utilizes kinetic expressions for the rates of adsorption and desorption. At equilibrium these two rates must be equal. A second approach involves the use of statistical thermodynamics to obtain a pseudo equilibrium constant for the process in terms of the partition functions of vacant sites, adsorbed molecules, and gas phase molecules. A third approach using classical thermodynamics is also possible. Because it provides a useful physical picture of the molecular processes involved, we will adopt the kinetic approach in our derivations. 

Data for a large number of organic compounds can be found in E. S. Domalski, W. H. Evans, and E. D. Hearing, Heat capacities and entropies in the condensed phase, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, Supplement No. 1, 13 (1984). It is impossible to predict values of heat capacities for solids by purely thermodynamic reasoning. However, the problem of the solid state has received much consideration in statistical thermodynamics, and several important expressions for the heat capacity have been derived. For our purposes, it will be sufficient to consider only the Debye equation and, in particular, its limiting form at very low temperamres ... 

The skeptical reader may reasonably ask from where we have obtained the above rules and where is the proof for the relation with thermodynamics and for the meaning ascribed to the individual terms of the PF. The ultimate answer is that there is no proof. Of course, the reader might check the contentions made in this section by reading a specialized text on statistical thermodynamics. He or she will find the proof of what we have said. However, such proof will ultimately be derived from the fundamental postulates of statistical thermodynamics. These are essentially equivalent to the two properties cited above. The fundamental postulates are statements regarding the connection between the PF and thermodynamics on the one hand (the famous Boltzmann equation for entropy), and the probabilities of the states of the system on the other. It just happens that this formulation of the postulates was first proposed for an isolated system—a relatively simple but uninteresting system (from the practical point of view). The reader interested in the subject of this book but not in the foundations of statistical thermodynamics can safely adopt the rules given in this section, trusting that a proof based on some... 

Statistical thermodynamic mean-field theory of polymer solutions, first formulated independently by Flory, Huggins, and Staverman, in which the thermodynamic quantities of the solution are derived from a simple concept of combinatorial entropy of mixing and a reduced Gibbs-energy parameter, the X interaction parameter. 

Fig. 1. Equations of state derived from various statistical thermodynamic theories...

Transport properties are often given a short treatment or a treatment too theoretical to be very relevant. The notion that molecules move when driven by some type of concentration gradient is a practical and easily grasped approach. The mathematics can be minimized. Perhaps the most important feature of the kinetic theory of gases is the recognition that macroscopic properties such as pressure and temperature can be derived by suitable averages of the properties of individual molecules. This concept is an important precursor to statistical thermodynamics. Moreover, the notion of a distribution function as a general... 

Adsorption isotherms may be derived from a consideration of two-dimensional equations of state, from partition functions by statistical thermodynamics, or from kinetic arguments. Even though these methods are not fundamentally different, they differ in ease of visualization. We consider examples of each method in Sections 9.3 and 9.4. 

Our approach until now has been to discuss adsorption isotherms on the basis of the equation of state of the corresponding two-dimensional matter. This procedure is easy to visualize and establishes a parallel with adsorption on liquid surfaces (Chapter 7) however, it is not the only way to proceed. In the following section we consider the use of statistical thermodynamics in the derivation of adsorption isotherms and examine some other approaches in subsequent sections. 

It should be apparent — since an adsorption isotherm can be derived from a two-dimensional equation of state —that an isotherm can also be derived from the partition function since the equation of state is implicitly contained in the partition function. The use of partition functions is very general, but it is also rather abstract, and the mathematical difficulties are often formidable (note the cautious in principle in the preceding paragraph). We shall not attempt any comprehensive discussion of the adsorption isotherms that have been derived by the methods of statistical thermodynamics instead, we derive only the Langmuir equation for adsorption from the gas phase by this method. The interested reader will find other examples of this approach discussed by Broeckhoff and van Dongen (1970). 

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