Molecular potential-energy surfaces for chemical reaction dynamics

This paper reviews the construction of molecular potential-energy surfaces by an interpolation method which has been developed over the last several years. The method uses ab initio quantum chemistry calculations of the molecular electronic energy in an automated procedure to construct global potential- energy surfaces which can be used to simulate chemical reactions with either classical or quantum dynamics. The methodology is explained and several applications are presented to illustrate the approach. Received: 22 February 2002 / Accepted: 2 May 2002 / Published online: 6 November 2002 Correspondence to: M. A. Collins e-mail: collins@rsc.anu.edu.au Acknowledgements. The methods described in this overview are the result of collaborations with former members of my group, in particular with Josef Ischtwan, Meredith Jordon, Keiran Thompson and Ryan Bettens. I am also indebted for inspiration gained from many discussions with my colleagues Leo Radom and Donghui Zhang (National University of Singapore). This work has been supported by the Supercomputer Facility of the Australian National University and the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing.     

Si4+Si3反应动力学：振动激发态对反应的影响

用准经典轨线方法研究了处于振动激发态的硅原子团簇与硅原子团簇碰撞的反应动力学，计算表明，对于Ｓｉ４＋Ｓｉ３反应，当反应物团簇处于振动激发态时，有利于生成更小团簇的碎片，而对生成Ｓｉ６＋Ｓｉ及Ｓｉ５＋Ｓｉ２的影响不大。     

Exploration on regulating factors for proton transfer along hydrogen-bonded water chains.

Proton transfer along a single-file hydrogen-bonded water chain is elucidated with a special emphasis on the investigation of chain length, side water, and solvent effects, as well as the temperature and pressure dependences. The number of water molecules in the chain varies from one to nine. The proton can be transported to the acceptor fragment through the single-file hydrogen-bonded water wire which contains at most five water molecules. If the number of water molecule is more than five, the proton is trapped by the chain in the hydroxyl-centered H(7)O(3) (+) state. The farthest water molecule involved in the formation of H(7)O(3) (+) is the fifth one away from the donor fragment. These phenomena reappear in the molecular dynamics simulations. The energy of the system is reduced along with the proton conduction. The proton transfer mechanism can be altered by excess proton. The augmentation of the solvent dielectric constant weakens the stability of the system, but favors the proton transfer. NMR spin-spin coupling constants can be used as a criterion in judging whether the proton is transferred or not. The enhancement of temperature increases the thermal motion of the molecule, augments the internal energy of the system, and favors the proton transfer. The lengthening of the water wire increases the entropy of the system, concomitantly, the temperature dependence of the Gibbs free energy increases. The most favorable condition for the proton transfer along the H-bonded water wire is the four-water contained chain with side water attached near to the acceptor fragment in polar solvent under higher temperature.     

固液相变的分子动力学研究Ⅰ─—(KI)_(108)离子簇的熔化和凝固(英)

通过分子动力学模拟，考查并分析了（KI）108离子簇的结构、能量和相变的动力学行为．在加热和冷却过程中，离子簇再现了熔化和凝固现象，而且熔化起始于立方体的其一顶点，熔化的离子簇不是球形的，说明了离子簇的非湿特征．根据结晶的成核速率，讨论了电子衍射实验中观察KI凝固的可能性     

Adsorption of water molecules in slit pores

We report molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the adsorption of water in attractive and repulsive slit pores, where the slit and a bulk region are in contact with each other. Water structure, surface force and adsorption behavior are investigated as a function of the overall density in the bulk region. The gas–liquid transition in both types of pores occurs at similar densities of the bulk region.     

Hierarchical Structure‐Within‐Structure Morphologies in A2‐star‐(B‐alt‐C) Molecules

We employ dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to examine the self‐assembly behavior of A₂‐star‐(B‐alt‐C) molecules. We successfully observe various types of hierarchical structure‐within‐structures, such as A‐formed spheres in the matrix formed by B and C alternating layers, hexagonally packed A‐formed cylinders in the matrix with B and C segregated layers, B and C alternating layers‐within‐lamellae, coaxial B and C alternating domains within hexagonally packed BC‐formed cylinders in the A‐matrix, and co‐centric BC‐alternating domains within BC‐formed spheres in the A‐matrix, by increasing the A composition. Generally speaking, the small length‐scale B and C segregated domains are in parallel to the large length‐scale structures. This hierarchical periodicity along the same axis as well as the various characteristic structures, that the A₂‐star‐(B‐alt‐C) copolymers display, are quite different from those in A‐block‐(B‐graft‐C) coil‐comb copolymers. Moreover, it is interesting to find that when the copolymer chain length increases, though the hierarchical structure type is maintained, the number of small length‐scale lamellae that can form within the large length‐scale structure increases. These hierarchical structures under various compositions are reported theoretically for the first time in the copolymer systems consisting of the alternating blocks, and are in good agreement with the most recent experimental work by Matsushita and co‐workers (Macromolecules 2007 , 40, 4023).     

The intermolecular potential function of Smith–Thakkar type for C60

The intermolecular potential function of Smith–Thakkar type for C₆₀ has been proposed, and its expression is as follows

The unit of u(r) is J/mol, r is the distance between two C₆₀ molecules center and the unit is nm. Some properties of C₆₀ in the gas and crystal have been studied using the interaction potential of Smith–Thakkar type, such as stability of C₆₀ crystals, virial coefficient and lattice dynamics.     

Theoretical study of the effect of frit quality on chromatography using computational fluid dynamics

Summary Frits at both ends of a chromatographic column, especially for a preparative column, have significant influence on the flow distribution within the column and thus the column efficiency. However, frits have received little attention from chromatographers in the past. Here a theoretical study was conducted with the aid of CFD software FLUENT to investigate the effect of frits on the performance of homogeneous and heterogeneous chromatographic columns. A dimensionless number,FQ, was applied to characterize frit quality. This study visualized how frit quality affects the flow distribution and the concentration band, the shape of eluted pulse at the colum exit and column efficiency. Simulation results show that the development length of the flow distribution is related toFQ but has nothing to do with the packing heterogeneity. The curvature of the concentration band in a column depends onFQ and packing quality. This study shows column efficiency can be improved significantly by increasingFQ and/or frit permeability.     

高分子玻璃化转变过程的分子动力学模拟本科教学实验

玻璃化转变是高分子专业教学中的重要内容,转变过程中自由体积的变化和分子链段的运动是理解玻璃化转变的难点。在计算机上使用分子模拟的方法得到三维的可视化图形,可以更直观地观察到自由体积和分子链的变化。提炼近年分子模拟技术在玻璃化转变研究中的最新科研成果,得到既有理论基础又适合本科教学的课程素材。分子模拟可以实现了仪器测试无法达到的超快速升降温,并与仪器测试得到的实验结果相对照,验证了普通实验很难验证的理论观点,从而拓展了本科实验的范围,达到了很好的教学效果。