Characterizing Interfaces by Voronoi Tessellation

The chemistry of interfaces differs markedly from that of the bulk. Calculation of interfacial properties depends strongly on the definition of the interface, which can lead to ambiguous results that vary between studies. There is a need for a method that can explicitly define the interfaces and boundaries in molecular systems. Voronoi tessellation offers an attractive solution to this problem through its ability to determine neighbors among specified groups of atoms. Here we discuss three cases where Voronoi tessellation combined with modeling of vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy yields relevant insights: the breakdown of the air-water interface into clear and intuitive molecular layers, the study of the hydration shell in biological systems, and the acceleration of difficult spectral calculations where intermolecular vibrational couplings dominate. The utility of Voronoi tessellation has broad applications that extend beyond any single type of spectroscopy or system.