Synthese und Kristallstruktur von [(n‐Bu)4N][W6Cl18]

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of [(n‐Bu)₄N][W₆Cl₁₈] Single‐crystals of [(n‐Bu)₄N][W₆Cl₁₈] were obtained as thin needles by adding methanol to a solution of W₆Cl₁₈ and [(n‐Bu)₄N]Cl in tetrahydrofuran. The structure was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction at 210 K. [(n‐Bu)₄N][W₆Cl₁₈] crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C 2/c with Z = 8 and the lattice parameters a = 2175.6(1) pm, b = 1738.0(1) pm, c = 2160.36(9) pm, and β = 91.680(5) °. The crystal structure contains isolated [(W₆Cl₁₂ⁱ)Cl₆^a]^— clusters and [(n‐Bu)₄N]⁺ ions.     

Testing the semi-explicit assembly model of aqueous solvation in the SAMPL4 challenge

Here, we test a method, called semi-explicit assembly (SEA), that computes the solvation free energies of molecules in water in the SAMPL4 blind test challenge. SEA was developed with the intention of being as accurate as explicit-solvent models, but much faster to compute. It is accurate because it uses pre-simulations of simple spheres in explicit solvent to obtain structural and thermodynamic quantities, and it is fast because it parses solute free energies into regionally additive quantities. SAMPL4 provided us the opportunity to make new tests of SEA. Our tests here lead us to the following conclusions: (1) The newest version, called Field-SEA, which gives improved predictions for highly charged ions, is shown here to perform as well as the earlier versions (dipolar and quadrupolar SEA) on this broad blind SAMPL4 test set. (2) We find that both the past and present SEA models give solvation free energies that are as accurate as TIP3P. (3) Using a new approach for force field parameter optimization, we developed improved hydroxyl parameters that ensure consistency with neat-solvent dielectric constants, and found that they led to improved solvation free energies for hydroxyl-containing compounds in SAMPL4. We also learned that these hydroxyl parameters are not just fixing solvent exposed oxygens in a general sense, and therefore do not improve predictions for carbonyl or carboxylic-acid groups. Other such functional groups will need their own independent optimizations for potential improvements. Overall, these tests in SAMPL4 indicate that SEA is an accurate, general and fast new approach to computing solvation free energies.     

Valence-shell photoabsorption by CO2 and its connections with electron-CO2 scattering

Photoabsorption cross sections and photoelectron asymmetry parameters, calculated with the multiple-scattering model (MSM), are reported for the 4σ_g, 3σ_u, 1π_u and 1π_g valence levels of CO₂. The results are discussed in the context of photoabsorption and electron energy-loss measurements and other theoretical calculations. Further comparisons are made with previously reported MSM calculations of elastic electron-CO₂ scattering. The close connection between the sets of shape resonances in the electron-scattering and photoabsorption by CO₂ is emphasized with plots of continuum eigenchannel wavefunctions for shape-resonant and non-resonant eigenchannels of σ_u symmetry.     

Using quaternions to calculate RMSD

A widely used way to compare the structures of biomolecules or solid bodies is to translate and rotate one structure with respect to the other to minimize the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD). We present a simple derivation, based on quaternions, for the optimal solid body transformation (rotation-translation) that minimizes the RMSD between two sets of vectors. We prove that the quaternion method is equivalent to the well-known formula due to Kabsch. We analyze the various cases that may arise, and give a complete enumeration of the special cases in terms of the arrangement of the eigenvalues of a traceless, 4 x 4 symmetric matrix. A key result here is an expression for the gradient of the RMSD as a function of model parameters. This can be useful, for example, in finding the minimum energy path of a reaction using the elastic band methods or in optimizing model parameters to best fit a target structure.