An extended hybrid density functional (X3LYP) with improved descriptions of nonbond interactions and thermodynamic properties of molecular systems

We derive here the form for the exact exchange energy density for a density that decays with Gaussian-type behavior at long range. This functional is intermediate between the B88 and the PW91 exchange functionals. Using this modified functional to match the form expected for Gaussian densities, we propose the X3LYP extended functional. We find that X3LYP significantly outperforms Becke three parameter Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) for describing van der Waals and hydrogen bond interactions, while performing slightly better than B3LYP for predicting heats of formation, ionization potentials, electron affinities, proton affinities, and total atomic energies as validated with the extended G2 set of atoms and molecules. Thus X3LYP greatly enlarges the field of applications for density functional theory. In particular the success of X3LYP in describing the water dimer (with R(e) and D(e) within the error bars of the most accurate determinations) makes it an excellent candidate for predicting accurate ligand-protein and ligand-DNA interactions.     

Coulomb-hole-Hartree-Fock functional for molecular systems

We have extended to molecules a density functional previously parametrized for atomic computations. The Coulombhole-Hartree-Fock functional, introduced by Clementi in 1963, estimated the dynamic correlation energy by the computation of a Hartree-Fock type single-determinant wavefunction, where the Hartree-Fock potential was augmented with an effective potential term, related to a hard Coulomb hole enclosing each electron. The method was later revised by S. Chakravorty and E. Clementi, Phys. Rev. A, 38 (1989) 2290, so that a Yukawa-type soft Coulomb hole replaced the previous hard hole. Atomic correlation energies, computed for atoms with Z = 2 to 54, as well as for a number of excited states, validated the method. In this work we have parametrized for molecules a function which controls the width of the soft Coulomb hole by fitting the first and second atomic ionization potentials of atoms with 1 Z 18 and the binding energies of a few diatomic molecules. The parametrization was successfully validated by computing the dissociation energy for a number of molecules. A few-determinant version of the Coulomb-Hartree-Fock method (CHF-N) necessary to account for the non-dynamic correlation correction and to ensure proper dissociation products, is briefly discussed with reference to a previous proposal by G.C. Lie and E. Clementi, J. Chem. Phys., 60 (1974) 1275 and 60 (1974) 1288.     

Stochastic quantum molecular dynamics for finite and extended systems

We present a detailed account of the technical aspects of stochastic quantum molecular dynamics, an approach introduced recently by the authors [H. Appel, M. Di Ventra, Phys. Rev. B 80 (2009) 212303] to describe coupled electron-ion dynamics in open quantum systems. As example applications of the method we consider both finite systems with and without ionic motion, as well as describe its applicability to extended systems in the limit of classical ions. The latter formulation allows the study of important phenomena such as decoherence and energy relaxation in bulk systems and surfaces in the presence of time-dependent fields.     

The accuracy of ab initio molecular geometries for systems containing second-row atoms

The performance of the standard hierarchy of ab initio models--that is, Hartree-Fock theory, second-order Moller-Plesset theory, coupled-cluster singles-and-doubles theory, and coupled-cluster singles-doubles-approximate-triples theory--in combination with correlation-consistent basis sets is investigated for equilibrium geometries of molecules containing second-row elements. From an analysis on a collection of 31 molecules (yielding statistical samples of 41 bond distances and 13 bond angles), the statistical errors (mean deviation, mean absolute deviation, standard deviation, and maximum absolute deviation) are established at each level of theory. The importance of core correlation is examined by comparing calculations in the frozen-core approximation with calculations where all electrons are correlated.     

分子拓扑指数与链烷烃热力学性质的关系

碳原子个数N和路径数P3是表征链烷烃分子的大小、支化度和形状等结构特征的重要参数,引入烷烃所含甲基数的1.5次方M1和3次方M2表征取代基效应,运用多元线性模型研究了链烷烃标准生成焓、标准摩尔熵、标准生成吉布斯自由能等三种热力学性质与N,P3,M1和M2之间的定量关系,相关系数分别达到0.9993,0.9989和0.9972,标准偏差分别是2.2809kJ/mol,5.9093J/(mol·K),2.0585kJ/mol,其计算值与实验值非常接近.     

Quantum wavepacket ab initio molecular dynamics for extended systems

In this paper, we introduce a symmetry-adapted quantum nuclear propagation technique that utilizes distributed approximating functionals for quantum wavepacket dynamics in extended condensed-phase systems. The approach is developed with a goal for implementation in quantum-classical methods such as the recently developed quantum wavepacket ab intio molecular dynamics (QWAIMD) to facilitate the study of extended systems. The method has been numerically benchmarked for extended electronic systems as well as protonic conducting systems that benefit from quantum nuclear treatment. Vibrational properties are computed for the case of the protonic systems through use of a novel velocity-flux correlation function. The treatment is found to be numerically accurate and efficient.     

The structural,electronic, elastic,vibration and thermodynamic properties of GdMg

We have investigated the structural, elastic, electronic, vibration and thermodynamic properties of GdMg alloy using the methods of density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange-correlation functional. We have presented the results on the basic physical parameters, such as the lattice constant, bulk modulus, pressure derivative of bulk modulus with and without spin-polarization (SP), second-order elastic constants, Zener anisotropy factor, Poisson's ratio, Young's modulus, and isotropic shear modulus. The thermodynamic properties of the considered compound are obtained through the quasi-harmonic Debye model. In order to obtain further information, we have also studied the pressure and temperature-dependent behavior of the volume, bulk modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, and Debye temperature in a wide temperature range of 0–1200 K. We have also calculated phonon frequencies and one-phonon density of states for B2 structure of GdMg compound. The temperature-dependent behavior of heat capacity and entropy obtained from phonon density of states for GdMg compound in B2 phase is also presented.     

The NaDyBr4 complex; its molecular structure and thermodynamic properties

The molecular geometry, vibrational frequencies, relative stabilities, and some thermodynamic properties of different isomers of the NaDyBr₄ complex were determined by computation. We investigated, to our knowledge for the first time for such a complex, the possible effect of the partially filled 4f orbitals on the molecular properties of an MLnX₄ complex by using a “small core” effective core potential of the Stuttgart group. The tridentate complex, with three Na–Br bridges, was found to be the ground-state structure with the bidentate one only about 4–6 kJ/mol higher in energy. The relative abundance of these isomers changes with temperature and at the high-temperature conditions of a metal halide lamp the bidentate isomer is the more abundant isomer.     

Bounds to electronic expectation values for atomic and molecular systems

A generalization of a method to calculate lower bounds to expectation values of non‐negative observables is presented. We consider bounds to three electronic expectation values 〈r²〉, 〈r〉, and 〈r^?1〉 in the helium atom as an example. For both 〈r²〉 and 〈r〉, we are able to calculate improved lower bounds. The lower bound to 〈r^?1〉 does not improve, but we are able to calculate an upper bound which is much closer to the expectation value than the lower bound. Although our generalization allows for improved bounds and/or upper bounds, these bounds to general observables are much less precise than energy bounds and even the expectation values calculated from variational wave functions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Modeling molecular acidity with electronic properties and Hammett constants for substituted benzoic acids

Molecular acidity is an important physiochemical property essential in many fields of molecular studies, but an efficient and reliable computational approach to make accurate predictions is still missing. In this work, based on our previous studies to use gas phase electronic properties such as molecular electrostatic potential and valence natural atomic orbitals of the acidic atom and leaving proton, we demonstrate here that different approaches can be employed to tackle this problem. To that end, we employ 196 singly, doubly, and triply substituted benzoic acids for the study. We show that two different approaches are possible, one focusing on the carboxyl group through its localized electronic properties and the other on the substituting groups via Hammett constants and their additivity rule. Our present results clearly exhibit that with the linear models built from the singly substituted species, one can accurately predict the pK(a) values for the doubly and triply substituted species with both of these two approaches. The predictions from these approaches are consistent with each other and agree well with the experimental data. These intrinsically different approaches are the two manifestations of the same molecular acidity property, both valid and complementary to each other.     

功能分子体系的设计与构建

功能分子在外界刺激(酸、碱、光等)的诱导下能发生分子构型、构象变化,并引起相应的物理化学性质变化,或能实现特定的功能,例如具有方向性的电子、能量转移,对分子/离子的识别能力的调控,以及光/电开关功能.功能分子的设计是分子材料科学研究的基础.作者将就我们在分子机器,化学传感器等功能分子的设计合成与性质研究领域取得的进展作一总结,并对未来的发展进行了描述.