Towards accurate solvation dynamics of divalent cations in water using the polarizable amoeba force field: From energetics to structure

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed using a modified amoeba force field to determine hydration and dynamical properties of the divalent cations Ca2+ and Mg2+. The extension of amoeba to divalent cations required the introduction of a cation specific parametrization. To accomplish this, the Thole polarization damping model parametrization was modified based on the ab initio polarization energy computed by a constrained space orbital variation energy decomposition scheme. Excellent agreement has been found with condensed phase experimental results using parameters derived from gas phase ab initio calculations. Additionally, we have observed that the coordination of the calcium cation is influenced by the size of the periodic water box, a recurrent issue in first principles molecular dynamics studies.     

Semiempirical MO methods: the middle ground in molecular modeling

Semiempirical methods occupy an important middle ground between molecular mechanics and ab initio MO calculations in the repertoire of methods available for studying the structures, properties and reactions of molecules. They have a unique combination of speed and generality which makes it possible to study many chemical systems which are beyond the reach of classical force fields and too large for ab initio MO methods. Indeed, semiempirical calculations are often the first computational technique to be applied to a chemical problem. Three examples where semiempirical MO calculations have provided significant mechanistic insight are the cylcopropylcarbinyl cation, porphyrin structure and dynamics, and the role of C---H hydrogen bonds in polymer miscibility. In each case Semiempirical calculations have been at the fore, and their results have been generally confirmed by subsequent ab initio calculations and experiment.     

Behavior of the Eigen form of hydronium at the air/water interface

Surface affinity of hydro-nium was explored using umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations with a refined polarizable potential. The polarizable interaction potential of H(3)O(+) was reparametrized against accurate ab initio calculations for geometries including a water molecule approaching the Eigen cation from its oxygen side. Although there is no true hydrogen bonding with H(3)O(+) acting as an acceptor, respecting in the force field the very shallow ab initio minimum corresponding to this interaction leads to a decrease in surface propensity of hydronium compared to previous results. Qualitatively, the mild surface affinity and strong surface orientation of hydronium is, nevertheless, robustly predicted by various computational approaches, as well as by spectroscopic experiments.     

Complete basis set ab initio computational study of ionization potential, electron affinity and the C-F bond dissociation energy for perfluorinated methane derivatives

A computational study of perfluorinated methane derivatives was performed with complete basis set ab initio methods. The total energies for their neutral, cation, and anionic states were computed. From these values, the energy gaps between different electronic states, ionization potentials, electron affinities, and C-F bond dissociation energies were calculated. The computed values are compared with experimental data and the reliability of complete basis set ab initio methods is discussed. New values for C-F bond dissociation energies are suggested. Received: 12 January 1998 / Accepted: 2 April 1998 / Published online: 29 July 1998     

Effect of the counterion on the steric and electronic structure of pyrylium cation

The effect of counterions on the stabilization of aromatic pyrylium cation, a heterocyclic analog of benzene, was examined by ab initio [MP2(full)/6-311++G**] method and density functional theory [B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)(6d,10f)]. Structures of the charge-transfer molecular complexes formed by interaction of pyrylium cation with counterion are predicted. The principal role of the counterion in the stabilization of the pyrylium cation aromatic system is demonstrated. The stabilization results from both electron density transfer and covalent bonding.     

Ab initio and quantum-defect calculations for the Rydberg states of ArH

Potential energy curves were evaluated for the ground and thirteen low-lying excited electronic states of the ArH molecule over a wide range of internuclear distances by the multi-reference averaged quadratic coupled cluster method. The ab initio energy differences and transition dipole moments were used to estimate Einstein emission coefficients, absorption oscillator strengths and radiative lifetimes. Diagonal and off-diagonal quantum defects, as functions of internuclear distance, were extracted from ab initio potentials of the lowest Rydberg states of the neutral ArH molecule by taking account of configuration interaction between Rydberg series converging to the ground and two electronic excited states of the ArH(+) cation. The derived quantum-defect functions were used to generate manifolds of higher excited Rydberg states. The agreement between experimental and calculated energies and radiative transition probabilities was found to be as good as or better than that obtained by earlier calculations.     

苯分子离子的理论研究

由于 Jahn-Teller效应 [1]具有简并的最高占据分子轨道 ( HOMO)的分子失去一个电子生成阳离子后 ,构型将发生重大变化 .苯分子的构型为 D6 h点群 ,其简并的 HOMO用 e1g表示 ,从简并的 HOMO上失去一个电子后的苯分子离子将具有简并的电子态 2 E1g.根据 Jahn-Teller理论 ,苯分子离子将由 D6 h构型畸变为D2 h构型 ,同时简并的电子态将分裂为 2 B2 g和 2 B1g两个电子态 ,对应于 2个不同的 D2 h结构 .然而 Jahn-Teller理论既未说明 2 B2 g和 2 B1g态中哪个能量更低 ,也未说明 D2 h构型的细节 ,故需用量子化学计算来确定 .苯分子离子…     

Does double hyperconjugation play a role in 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl cation ? The through-space effect of polar substituents

The calculated structure (ab initio,STO-3G) of 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl cation does not reveal stabilization by double hyperconjugation, postulated recently. The calculated energetic effect of 5 polar groups at C4 show the dominance of the through-space effect.     

Anodic oxidation of methyl alpha-dimethylsilyldihydrocinnamate. A novel silicon gamma-aryl effect

The anodic oxidation of methyl 3-phenyl-2-dimethylsilylpropionate occurs at a potential almost 1 V positive of that required to oxidize other alpha-silyl esters. Semiempirical and ab initio calculations on the model compound 1-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylethane indicate that electron removal from these two compounds is highly stereoelectronically dependent. Both molecules exist almost exclusively in a conformation in which the phenyl group and silicon atom are anti and the side chain is perpendicular to the aromatic ring. This conformation has a higher energy HOMO orbital and lower computed ionization potential than the only other significantly populated conformation of 1-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylethane. Finally, the ab initio calculations show that in the cation radical of this model compound the ipso carbon of the aromatic ring and the side chain carbon bound to silicon draw significantly closer together than in the neutral species; an electrostatic potential map of the cation radical shows that the ipso carbon bears the highest degree of positive charge of any of the benzenoid carbons. We interpret these data, taken together, as an indication that this cation radical is stabilized by overlap of the rear lobe of the carbon-silicon bond with the p-orbital of the ipso carbon.     

Ab initio calculations on the intramolecular electron transfer rates of a bis(hydrazine) radical cation

Electron transfer (ET) rates of a charge localized (Class II) intervalence radical cation of a bis(hydrazine) are investigated theoretically. First, the intramolecular ET parameters, i.e., reorganization energy, electronic coupling, and effective frequency, are calculated using several ab initio approaches. And then, the extended Sumi-Marcus theory is employed to predict ET rates by using the parameters obtained. The results reveal that the rates of three isomers of [22/hex/22]+, oo+[22/hex/22]+, io +[22/hex/22]+, and oi+[22/hex/22]+, are agreement with the experiment quite well while the rate of isomer ii+[22/hex/22]+ is about 1000 times larger than those of the others. The validity of different ab initio approaches for this system is discussed.     

The C4H7+ cation. A theoretical investigation

The potential energy surface of the C4H7+ cation has been investigated with ab initio quantum chemical theory. Extended basis set calculations, including electronic correlation, show that cyclobutyl and cyclopropylcarbinyl cation are equally stable isomers. The saddle point connecting these isomers lies 0.6 kcal/mol above the minima. The global C4H7+ minimum corresponds to the 1-methylallyl cation, which is 9.0 kcal/mol more stable than the cyclobutyl and the cyclopropylcarbinyl cation and 9.5 kcal/mol below the 2-methylallyl cation. These results are in excellent agreement with experimental data.     

Relative cation versus anion stabilities of low-coordinated P(III) π-bonded phosphorus compounds

Relative cation and anion stabilities of a selected variety of low-coordinated π-bonded phosphorus compounds are evaluated for the gas phase by means of group transfer reactions at an ab initio RHF/SCF level with inclusion of electron correlation treatment ( ). The cation stabilities reveal large variations; the largest cation stabilities are possessed by the diaminophosphenium cation and the phosphanetriylammonium cation. Interestingly the diphosphinophosphenium structure is capable of strong stabilization of the corresponding cation as well as the anion. An analysis of the frontier orbitals indicates that the cationic species can be divided into classes of structures, isolobal with a carbene or a cyanide, isocyanide, rsp.     

Interaction potentials of the RG-I anions, neutrals, and cations (RG = He, Ne, Ar)

Interaction potentials of the iodine atom, atomic cation, and anion with light rare-gas atoms from He to Ar are calculated within the unified ab initio approach using the unrestricted coupled-cluster with singles and doubles and perturbative treatment of triples correlation treatment, relativistic small-core pseudopotential, and an extended basis set. Ab initio points are fit to a flexible analytical function. The calculated potentials are compared with available literature data, assessed in the I(-)-and I+-ion mobility calculations and the Ar-I(-)-anion zero electron kinetic-energy spectra simulations, and analyzed using the correlation rules. The results indicate a high precision of the reported potentials.     

Pentazole-based energetic ionic liquids: a computational study

The structures of protonated pentazole cations (RN5H+), oxygen-containing anions such as N(NO2)2-, NO3-, and ClO4- and the corresponding ion pairs are investigated by ab initio quantum chemistry calculations. The stability of the pentazole cation is explored by examining the decomposition pathways of several monosubstituted cations (RN5H+) to yield N2 and the corresponding azidinium cation. The heats of formation of these cations, which are based on isodesmic (bond-type conserving) reactions, are calculated. The proton-transfer reaction from the cation to the anion is investigated.     

Photostability of electronically excited polyacenes: a case study of vibronic coupling in the naphthalene radical cation

Novel issues of electronic nonadiabatic coupling in the excited state dynamics of prototypical naphthalene radical cation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon of the polyacene family are theoretically investigated. A benchmark ab initio quantum dynamical study is performed and its complex vibronic spectra and nonradiative decay are examined. The findings are in very good accord with the experiment, unambiguously establishing the crucial role of intricate electron-nuclear coupling in the photoinduced dynamical processes of this system.     

Probing the structure of CH5+ by dissociative charge exchange

Dissociative charge exchange of CH5+ with Cs, coupled with quasiclassical trajectory calculations on an ab initio PES for CH5, has been used to probe the structure of the CH5+ cation. Product kinetic energy release distributions and branching ratios for CH5 --> CH4 + H and CH5 --> CH3 + H2 have been compared. The agreement of the product branching ratios provides evidence for the fluxional nature of CH5+.     

含S-P-N键的磷烯正离子及其相关物的结构和性质的从头计算

本文对5-甲硫基-3-N-苯基-2,3-2(H)-1,3,4,2-噻二唑磷茂啉的磷烯正离子等三个相关分子的平衡几何构型进行了从头算解析能量梯度方法的全优化计算. 优化结果表明, 二配位磷烯正离子与相应的三配位磷母体分子的结构有本质的差异.形成二配位磷烯正离子后,磷所在的五员环形成共轭体系而使原来的单键键长变短, 原来的双键键长变长, 且使原来不共面的五员环共面. 在优化的平衡几何处进行单点CI计算的结果表明, 基态分子中磷原子上的正电荷的相对多少次序与实验测得的摩尔电导率及^3^1P NMR谱的化学位移的相对大小次序完全一致.     

Microhydration of protonated glycine: an ab initio family tree

The incremental hydration of the glycine cation is investigated using an ab initio approach fully correcting for basis set superposition errors and explicitly incorporating electron-correlation effects. Structures with zero to four surrounding water molecules have been determined. It is demonstrated that the successive aggregates follow a Darwinian family tree, the most stable complexes systematically belonging to the same branch of the tree. In strong contrast with neutral glycine, the direct hydrogen bonding to the glycine cation is favored over bridging water structures. The agreement between experimental and theoretical hydration enthalpies and Gibbs free energies is impressive, as ab initio estimates almost systematically fit the experimental error bars. For GlyH(+)-(H2O) and GlyH(+)-(H2O)3, we show that two structures are generated by the experimental setup. The present approach also resolves most of the previous theory/experiment discrepancies and provides patterns for the evolution of the vibrational spectra: a decrease of the hydrogen-bond stretching frequency indicating second-shell water molecules. Additionally, the impact of bulk solvent solvation is investigated, as four discrete water molecules still do not fully hydrate the protonated glycine.     

Positive ion chemistry of SiH4/GeF4 gaseous mixtures studied by ion trap mass spectrometry and ab initio calculations

The positive ion chemistry occurring in SiH(4)/GeF(4) gaseous mixtures was investigated by ion trap mass spectrometry and ab initio theoretical calculations. The GeF(3)(+) cation, the only fragment obtained from ionized GeF(4), was unreactive towards SiH(4). All the primary ions SiH(n)(+) (n = 0-3) react instead with GeF(4) so to form SiF(+) or SiH(2)F(+). The latter species reacts in turn with SiH(4) and GeF(4) so to form SiH(3)(+) and SiHF(2)(+), respectively. The potential energy profiles conceivably involved in these reactions were investigated by ab initio calculations performed at the MP2 and coupled cluster (CCSD(T)) level of theory.     

UV Photoionization Study of the Ethyl Radical

Introduction Ashighlyreactivebuildingblocksandfundamen talreactionintermediatesinorganicsynthesis,thealkyl radicalfamilyplaysacentralroleinadiversearrayof importantprocessesrangingfromcombustion[1]toat mosphericchemistry[2].Amongalkylradicals,theeth ylrad…