Temperature Dependence of the Dielectric Permittivity of Acetic Acid, Propionic Acid and Their Methyl Esters: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

For most liquids, the static relative dielectric permittivity is a decreasing function of temperature, because enhanced thermal motion reduces the ability of the molecular dipoles to orient under the effect of an external electric field. Monocarboxylic fatty acids ranging from acetic to octanoic acid represent an exception to this general rule. Close to room temperature, their dielectric permittivity increases slightly with increasing temperature. Herein, the causes for this anomaly are investigated based on molecular dynamics simulations of acetic and propionic acids at different temperatures in the interval 283363 K, using the GROMOS 53A6OXY force field. The corresponding methyl esters are also considered for comparison. The dielectric permittivity is calculated using either the box-dipole fluctuation (BDF) or the external electric field (EEF) methods. The normal and anomalous temperature dependences of the permittivity for the esters and acids, respectively, are reproduced. Furthermore, in the EEF approach, the response of the acids to an applied field of increasing strength is found to present two successive linear regimes before reaching saturation. The low-field permittivity e, comparable to that obtained using the BDF approach, increases with increasing temperature. The higher-field permittivity e' is slightly larger, and decreases with increasing temperature. Further analyses of the simulations in terms of radial distribution functions, hydrogen-bonded structures, and diffusion properties suggest that increasing the temperature or the applied field strength both promote a relative population shift from cyclic (mainly dimeric) to extended (chain-like) hydrogen-bonded structures. The lower effective dipole moment associated with the former structures compared to the latter ones provides an explanation for the peculiar dielectric properties of the two acids compared to their methyl esters.