Comparison of the numerical stability of methods for anharmonic calculations of vibrational molecular energies

On model examples, we compare the performance of the vibrational self-consistent field, variational, and four perturbational schemes used for computations of vibrational energies of semi-rigid molecules, with emphasis on the numerical stability. Although the accuracy of the energies is primarily dependent on the quality of the potential energy surface, approximate approaches to the anharmonic vibrational problem often do not converge to the same results due to the approximations involved. For furan, the sensitivity to variations of the anharmonic potential was systematically investigated by adding random noise to the cubic and quartic constants. The self-consistent field methods proved to be the most resistant to the potential variations. The second order perturbational techniques are sensitive to random degeneracies and provided the least stable results. However, their stability could be significantly improved by a simple generalization of the perturbational formula. The variational configuration interaction is practically limited by the size of the matrix that can be diagonalized for larger molecules; however, relatively fewer states need to be involved than for smaller ones, in favor of the computing.     

Vibrational contributions to cubic response functions from vibrational configuration interaction response theory

In continuation of our recent paper on vibrational quadratic response functions for vibrational configuration interaction wave functions, we present in this paper a derivation and implementation of the pure vibrational cubic response function for vibrational configuration interaction wave functions. In addition, we present combined electronic and vibrational cubic response functions derived from sum-over-states expressions in the Born-Oppenheimer framework and a discussion of complicating issues. The implementation enables analytic calculation of the pure vibrational cubic response function via response theory, which constitutes a part of the vibronic cubic response function.     

Automatic generation of force fields and property surfaces for use in variational vibrational calculations of anharmonic vibrational energies and zero-point vibrational averaged properties

An automatic and general procedure for the calculation of geometrical derivatives of the energy and general property surfaces for molecular systems is developed and implemented. General expressions for an n-mode representation are derived, where the n-mode representation includes only the couplings between n or less degrees of freedom. The general expressions are specialized to derivative force fields and property surfaces, and a scheme for calculation of the numerical derivatives is implemented. The implementation is interfaced to electronic structure programs and may be used for both ground and excited electronic states. The implementation is done in the context of a vibrational structure program and can be used in combination with vibrational self-consistent field (VSCF), vibrational configuration interaction (VCI), vibrational Moller-Plesset, and vibrational coupled cluster calculations of anharmonic wave functions and calculation of vibrational averaged properties at the VSCF and VCI levels. Sample calculations are presented for fundamental vibrational energies and vibrationally averaged dipole moments and frequency dependent polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of water and formaldehyde.     

Coupled-cluster calculation of dispersion contributions to interaction energies and polarizabilities

 The induced dipole dispersion-type contributions to the two-body and nonadditive three-body energies and electric dipole polarizabilities are studied for long-range interactions involving the He, Ne, Ar and Kr atoms and the H₂ and N₂ molecules. The coupled-cluster singles and doubles model and large basis sets are used. Comparison of the energy contributions with data derived from experiment shows in most cases the deviations to be less than 1%; therefore, it may be expected that the calculated polarizability increments are accurately determined and can be used to estimate the accuracy of approximate methods. Received: 20 March 2001 / Accepted: 5 April 2001 / Published online: 27 June 2001     

Protein-ligand interaction energies with dispersion corrected density functional theory and high-level wave function based methods

With dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D3) intermolecular interaction energies for a diverse set of noncovalently bound protein-ligand complexes from the Protein Data Bank are calculated. The focus is on major contacts occurring between the drug molecule and the binding site. Generalized gradient approximation (GGA), meta-GGA, and hybrid functionals are used. DFT-D3 interaction energies are benchmarked against the best available wave function based results that are provided by the estimated complete basis set (CBS) limit of the local pair natural orbital coupled-electron pair approximation (LPNO-CEPA/1) and compared to MP2 and semiempirical data. The size of the complexes and their interaction energies (ΔE(PL)) varies between 50 and 300 atoms and from -1 to -65 kcal/mol, respectively. Basis set effects are considered by applying extended sets of triple- to quadruple-ζ quality. Computed total ΔE(PL) values show a good correlation with the dispersion contribution despite the fact that the protein-ligand complexes contain many hydrogen bonds. It is concluded that an adequate, for example, asymptotically correct, treatment of dispersion interactions is necessary for the realistic modeling of protein-ligand binding. Inclusion of the dispersion correction drastically reduces the dependence of the computed interaction energies on the density functional compared to uncorrected DFT results. DFT-D3 methods provide results that are consistent with LPNO-CEPA/1 and MP2, the differences of about 1-2 kcal/mol on average (<5% of ΔE(PL)) being on the order of their accuracy, while dispersion-corrected semiempirical AM1 and PM3 approaches show a deviating behavior. The DFT-D3 results are found to depend insignificantly on the choice of the short-range damping model. We propose to use DFT-D3 as an essential ingredient in a QM/MM approach for advanced virtual screening approaches of protein-ligand interactions to be combined with similarly "first-principle" accounts for the estimation of solvation and entropic effects.     

Vibrational amplitude profile of molecular vibrational modes for vibrational mode assignment

Ultrashort pulse lasers with 6- and 20-fs durations were utilized for phthalocyanine thin film sample to induce several vibrational modes and vibration amplitude spectra were determined by multi-wavelength measurement technique. From the spectra we could identify the electronic states, which couple to two vibrational modes with frequencies of 670 and 750 cm⁻¹. It was shown that the vibrational amplitude profile obtained by the method can be used for providing information for the assignment of the vibrational mode.     

Harmonic and anharmonic contributions to parity-violating vibrational frequency difference between enantiomers of chiral molecules

A general perturbative procedure for the computation of harmonic and anharmonic contributions to parity-violating vibrational shifts is introduced and applied to PHBrF and AsHBrF. The results point out the importance of both diagonal and off-diagonal anharmonic contributions and indicate that some parity-violating shift of AsHBrF approaches the resolution forecasted for next generation experiments. The proposed approach is sufficiently general and computationally effective to allow studies of similar and larger molecular systems.     

Accurate calculation of anharmonic vibrational frequencies of medium sized molecules using local coupled cluster methods

Local coupled cluster methods were applied for the automated generation of accurate multidimensional potential energy surfaces for a set of test molecules ranging from six to nine atoms. Based on these surfaces anharmonic fundamental frequencies were computed using vibrational self-consistent field and configuration interaction methods. The computed vibrational frequencies are compared to those obtained from similar calculations using conventional coupled cluster methods and to experimental values. The results from local and conventional methods are found to be of similar accuracy and in close agreement with experimental values. In addition, an efficient parallelization of the fully automated surface generation code is presented.     

A virtual vibrational self-consistent-field method for efficient calculation of molecular vibrational partition functions and thermal effects on molecular properties

A new method is described for the calculation of molecular vibrational partition functions and thermal effects on molecular properties including an explicit account of anharmonicity. The approach is based on the vibrational self-consistent-field method. Partition functions and thermal averages of the energies calculated with the new method are generally in good agreement with the result of more accurate methods. At lower temperatures the method gives in addition good results for thermal averages of dipole moments and polarizabilities. The new method is much more efficient than explicit sum-over-states approaches previously used for calculation of thermal averages. Unlike the standard sum-over-states approach, the newly developed method is feasible for larger systems despite the formal exponential increase in the number of states with the size of the system. Thus, it is presently the only practical way for including an explicit treatment of anharmonicity in vibrational wave function based calculations of molecular vibrational partition functions and thermally averaged properties of larger molecules.     

A new functional for variational calculation of atomic and molecular second-order correlation energies

Second-order correlation energies for atoms and molecules are calculated with a novel variational functional that is closely related to the one used before but neglects the most time-consuming terms. Consequently much larger basis sets could be used. Results for He, Be, H₂ and LiH obtained with an explicitly correlated gaussian geminal basis are better than the best published results by 0.32, 0.06, 3.3, and 6.2% and are estimated to be accurate to within a fraction of 1%.     

Molecular orbital theory study on surface complex structures of phosphates to iron hydroxides: calculation of vibrational frequencies and adsorption energies

Quantum mechanical calculations were applied to resolve controversies about phosphate surface complexes on iron hydroxides. Six possible surface complexes were modeled: deprotonated, monoprotonated, and diprotonated versions of bridging bidentate and monodentate complexes. The calculated frequencies were compared to experimental IR frequency data (Persson et al. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 1996, 177, 263-275; Arai and Sparks J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2001, 241, 317-326.). This study suggests that the surface complexes change depending on pH. Four possible species are a diprotonated bidentate complex at pH 4-6, either a deprotonated bidentate or a monoprotonated monodentate complex at pH 7.5-7.9, and a deprotonated monodentate complex at pH 12.8. In addition, reaction energies were calculated for adsorption from aqueous solution to determine relative stability to form a monoprotonated monodentate complex and a deprotonated bidentate complex. According to these results, the monoprotonated monodentate complex should be favored. Vibrational frequencies of the monoprotonated monodentate and deprotonated bidentate complexes were analyzed with electronic effects on the Fe-OP and H-OP bonds.     

Applicability of hybrid density functional theory methods to calculation of molecular hyperpolarizability

The donor/acceptor (D/A) substituted pi-conjugated organic molecules possess extremely fast nonlinear optical (NLO) response time that is purely electronic in origin. This makes them promising candidates for optoelectronic applications. In the present study, we utilized four hybrid density functionals (B3LYP, B97-2, PBE0, BMK), Hartree-Fock, and second order Moller-Plesset correlation energy correction, truncated at second-order (MP2) methods with different basis sets to estimate molecular first hyperpolarizability (beta) of D/A-substituted benzenes and stilbenes (D=OMe, OH, NMe(2), NH(2); A=NO(2), CN). The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations are compared to those of MP2 method and to the experimental data. We addressed the following questions: (1) the accurate techniques to compare calculated results to each other and to experiment, (2) the choice of the basis set, (3) the effect of molecular planarity, and (4) the choice of the method. Comparison of the absolute values of hyperpolarizabilities obtained computationally and experimentally is complicated by the ambiguities in conventions and reference values used by different experimental groups. A much more tangible way is to compare the ratios of beta's for two (or more) given molecules of interest that were calculated at the same level of theory and measured at the same laboratory using the same conventions and reference values. Coincidentally, it is the relative hyperpolarizabilities rather than absolute ones that are of importance in the rational molecular design of effective NLO materials. This design includes prediction of the most promising candidates from particular homologous series, which are to be synthesized and used for further investigation. In order to accomplish this goal, semiquantitative level of accuracy is usually sufficient. Augmentation of the basis set with polarization and diffuse functions changes beta by 20%; however, further extension of the basis set does not have significant effect. Thus, we recommend 6-31+G(*) basis set. We also show that the use of planar geometry constraints for the molecules, which can somewhat deviate from planarity in the gas phase, leads to sufficient accuracy (with an error less than 10%) of predicted values. For all the molecules studied, MP2 values are in better agreement with experiment, while DFT hybrid methods overestimate beta values. BMK functional gives the best agreement with experiment, with systematic overestimation close to the factor of 1.4. We propose to use the scaled BMK results for prediction of molecular hyperpolarizability at semiquantitative level of accuracy.     

First-principles calculation of geometry and anharmonic vibrational spectra of thioformamide and thioformamide-d2

The equilibrium geometry of thioformamide HCSNH2 has been determined at the MP2 and CCSD(T) electron correlation levels under C(s) symmetry constraints using triple-zeta basis sets up to cc-pVTZ. All optimized planar structures are true minima on the potential-energy surface and are characterized by the C-N bond length within 1.353-1.343 A, C-S distances of 1.656-1.628 A, and NCS angle between 125.7 degrees and 125.9 degrees . The wave number of the NH2 out-of-plane wagging mode computed in the harmonic approximation shows stronger dependence on the basis set rather than the electron correlation level and varies from 85.9 cm(-1) at CCSD(T)cc-pVDZ level to 335 cm(-1) at MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. Anharmonic vibrational spectra of HCSNH2 and HCSND2 have been determined directly from the potential-energy surfaces computed at MP2 level in triple-zeta valence (TZV)(2df,2p) and TZV+(2df,2p) basis sets using vibrational self-consistent-field (VSCF) and correlation-corrected VSCF (CC-VSCF) methods. CC-VSCF wave numbers of fundamental, first overtone, and most intense combination transitions are reported for thioformamide and those of fundamentals for thioformamide-d2. The NH2 wagging (nu12) mode is strongly anharmonic and its fundamentals have been computed at 406.9 cm(-1) [TZV(2df,2p)] and 399.5 cm(-1) [TZV+(2df,2p)], which is remarkably close to the experimental energy of 393 cm(-1). Anharmonically computed fundamentals of this mode in thioformamide-d2, 299.7 cm(-1) [TZV(2df,2p)] and 299.6 cm(-1) [TZV+(2df,2p)], are only approximately 7 cm(-1) higher than the transition energy (293 cm(-1)) observed in the gas phase spectrum of HCSND2. The first overtone of the NH2 wagging mode of thioformamide (nu12 (02)) has been calculated by CC-VSCF procedure at 830.8 cm(-1) [TZV(2df,2p)] and 880.0 cm(-1) [TZV+(2df,2p)], which implies "negative" (nu12 (02)>2*nu12 (01)) anharmonicity of this mode.     

Algorithm for variational calculations of molecular symmetry in solving anharmonic vibrational problems

A universal program for variational calculations of molecular symmetry in solving anharmonic vibrational problems, realized by the author, is described. The program uses the group-theoretical method. Symmetrized basis wave functions are constructed with the aid of the generalized KJebsch-Gordan series suggested by the author. The method of constructing symmetrized basis wave functions and the program for adequate calculations of molecular symmetry were verified for many molecules of different symmetry groups: O_h, O, T_d, T_h, T, D_∞h, C_t8v, D_nd, D_nh, D_n, C_nv, C_nh, S_2n, C_n, C_i, C_s, and C₁ where 2 ≤n ≤6. It was confirmed that the program provides correct results and high-speed operation. Translated fromZhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 38, No. 6, pp. 1146–1153, November–December, 1997.     

Basis set convergence of post-CCSD contributions to molecular atomization energies

Basis set convergence of correlation effects on molecular atomization energies beyond the coupled cluster with singles and doubles (CCSD) approximation has been studied near the one-particle basis set limit. Quasiperturbative connected triple excitations, (T), converge more rapidly than L(-3) (where L is the highest angular momentum represented in the basis set), while higher-order connected triples, T3-(T), converge more slowly--empirically, proportional to L(-5/2). Quasiperturbative connected quadruple excitations, (Q), converge smoothly as proportional to L(-3) starting with the cc-pVTZ basis set, while the cc-pVDZ basis set causes overshooting of the contribution in highly polar systems. Higher-order connected quadruples display only weak, but somewhat erratic, basis set dependence. Connected quintuple excitations converge very rapidly with the basis set, to the point where even an unpolarized double-zeta basis set yields useful numbers. In cases where fully iterative coupled cluster up to connected quintuples (CCSDTQ5) calculations are not an option, CCSDTQ(5) (i.e., coupled cluster up to connected quadruples plus a quasiperturbative connected quintuples correction) cannot be relied upon in the presence of significant nondynamical correlation, whereas CCSDTQ(5)(Lambda) represents a viable alternative. Connected quadruples corrections to the core-valence contribution are thermochemically significant in some systems. We propose an additional variant of W4 theory [A. Karton et al., J. Chem. Phys. 125, 144108 (2006)], denoted W4.4 theory, which is shown to yield a rms deviation from experimental atomization energies (active thermochemical tables, ATcT) of only 0.05 kcal/mol for systems for which ATcT values are available. We conclude that "3sigma 相似文献   

The performance of explicitly correlated methods for the computation of anharmonic vibrational frequencies

Anharmonic vibrational frequencies for closed-shell molecules computed with CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVTZ differ from significantly more costly composite energy methods by a mean absolute error (MAE) of 7.5 cm⁻¹ per fundamental frequency. Comparison to a few available gas phase experimental modes, however, actually lowers the MAE to 6.0 cm⁻¹. Open-shell molecules have an MAE of nearly a factor of six greater. Hence, open-shell molecular anharmonic frequencies cannot be as well-described with only explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory as their closed-shell brethren. As a result, the use of quartic force fields and vibrational perturbation theory can be opened to molecules with six or more atoms, whereas previously such computations were limited to molecules of five or fewer atoms. This will certainly assist in studies of more chemically interesting species, especially for atmospheric and interstellar infrared spectroscopic characterization.     

Calculation of vibrational infrared intensities and Raman activities using explicit anharmonic wave functions

Methods for automatic computation of IR intensities and Raman activities are described using vibrational self-consistent field (VSCF) and vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) wave functions. Inclusion of effects due to anharmonicity in the potential energy and property surfaces are found to improve the results substantially as compared to experimental data. Sample calculations employing water and formaldehyde are presented, allowing for comparison between different vibrational methods. The convergence with respect to excitation level in VCI and the extent of mode coupling in the potential and property expansions is investigated. In addition, different electronic methods used for generating the potential and property surfaces, namely CCSD, CCSD(T), DFT/B3LYP, and DFT/CAM-B3LYP have been compared. Details of the potential and property surfaces may have significant effects on the IR and Raman intensities.