The capabilities of the Crystal14 program are presented, and the improvements made with respect to the previous Crystal09 version discussed. Crystal14 is an ab initio code that uses a Gaussian-type basis set: both pseudopotential and all-electron strategies are permitted; the latter is not much more expensive than the former up to the first-second transition metal rows of the periodic table. A variety of density functionals is available, including as an extreme case Hartree–Fock; hybrids of various nature (global, range-separated, double) can be used. In particular, a very efficient implementation of global hybrids, such as popular B3LYP and PBE0 prescriptions, allows for such calculations to be performed at relatively low computational cost. The program can treat on the same grounds zero-dimensional (molecules), one-dimensional (polymers), two-dimensional (slabs), as well as three-dimensional (3D; crystals) systems. No spurious 3D periodicity is required for low-dimensional systems as happens when plane-waves are used as a basis set. Symmetry is fully exploited at all steps of the calculation; this permits, for example, to investigate nanotubes of increasing radius at a nearly constant cost (better than linear scaling!) or to perform self-consistent-field (SCF) calculations on fullerenes as large as (10,10), with 6000 atoms, 84,000 atomic orbitals, and 20 SCF cycles, on a single core in one day. Three versions of the code exist, serial, parallel, and massive-parallel. In the second one, the most relevant matrices are duplicated, whereas in the third one the matrices in reciprocal space are distributed for diagonalization. All the relevant vectors are now dynamically allocated and deallocated after use, making Crystal14 much more agile than the previous version, in which they were statically allocated. The program now fits more easily in low-memory machines (as many supercomputers nowadays are). Crystal14 can be used on parallel machines up to a high number of cores (benchmarks up to 10,240 cores are documented) with good scalability, the main limitation remaining the diagonalization step. Many tensorial properties can be evaluated in a fully automated way by using a single input keyword: elastic, piezoelectric, photoelastic, dielectric, as well as first and second hyperpolarizabilies, electric field gradients, Born tensors and so forth. Many tools permit a complete analysis of the vibrational properties of crystalline compounds. The infrared and Raman intensities are now computed analytically and related spectra can be generated. Isotopic shifts are easily evaluated, frequencies of only a fragment of a large system computed and nuclear contribution to the dielectric tensor determined. New algorithms have been devised for the investigation of solid solutions and disordered systems. The topological analysis of the electron charge density, according to the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules, is now incorporated in the code via the integrated merge of the Topond package. Electron correlation can be evaluated at the Moller–Plesset second-order level (namely MP2) and a set of double-hybrids are presently available via the integrated merge with the Cryscor program. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

/pdf/crystal14-a-program-for-the-ab-initio-investigation-of-53dvn35xcj.pdf

CRYSTAL14: A program for the ab initio investigation of crystalline solids

Recent years have witnessed many breakthroughs in research on two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, among which is hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), a layered material with a regular network of BN hexagons. This review provides an insight into the marvellous nano BN flatland, beginning with a concise introduction to BN and its low-dimensional nanostructures, followed by an overview of the past and current state of research on 2D BN nanostructures. A comprehensive review of the structural characteristics and synthetic routes of BN monolayers, multilayers, nanomeshes, nanowaves, nanoflakes, nanosheets and nanoribbons is presented. In addition, electronic, optical, thermal, mechanical, magnetic, piezoelectric, catalytic, ecological, biological and wetting properties, applications and research perspectives for these novel 2D nanomaterials are discussed.

Nano boron nitride flatland.

The properties of all materials arise largely from the quantum mechanics of their constituent electrons under the influence of the electric field of the nuclei. The solution of the underlying many-electron Schrodinger equation is a ‘non-polynomial hard’ problem, owing to the complex interplay of kinetic energy, electron–electron repulsion and the Pauli exclusion principle. The dominant computational method for describing such systems has been density functional theory. Quantum-chemical methods—based on an explicit ansatz for the many-electron wavefunctions and, hence, potentially more accurate—have not been fully explored in the solid state owing to their computational complexity, which ranges from strongly exponential to high-order polynomial in system size. Here we report the application of an exact technique, full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo to a variety of real solids, providing reference many-electron energies that are used to rigorously benchmark the standard hierarchy of quantum-chemical techniques, up to the ‘gold standard’ coupled-cluster ansatz, including single, double and perturbative triple particle–hole excitation operators. We show the errors in cohesive energies predicted by this method to be small, indicating the potential of this computationally polynomial scaling technique to tackle current solid-state problems. Recent developments that reduce the computational cost and scaling of wavefunction-based quantum-chemical techniques open the way to the successful application of such techniques to a variety of real-world solids. Computational descriptions of solid-state materials are currently dominated by methods based on density functional theory. An attractive and potentially more accurate approach would be to adopt the wavefunction-based methods of quantum chemistry, although these have not received as much attention because of the computational complexities involved. Now George Booth and colleagues show how recent developments that serve to reduce the computational cost and scaling of such quantum-chemical techniques open the way to their successful application to a variety of real-world solids.

/pdf/towards-an-exact-description-of-electronic-wavefunctions-in-2p2ktleh8j.pdf

Towards an exact description of electronic wavefunctions in real solids

Silica Surface Features and Their Role in the Adsorption of Biomolecules: Computational Modeling and Experiments / Albert Rimola;Dominique Costa;Mariona Sodupe;Jean-François Lambert;Piero Ugliengo. In: CHEMICAL REVIEWS. ISSN 0009-2665. STAMPA. 113:6(2013), pp. 4216-4313. Original Citation: Silica Surface Features and Their Role in the Adsorption of Biomolecules: Computational Modeling and Experiments

/pdf/silica-surface-features-and-their-role-in-the-adsorption-of-2hhuc04ksj.pdf

Silica Surface Features and Their Role in the Adsorption of Biomolecules: Computational Modeling and Experiments

Including Projector Augmented Wave Method: A Chemist’s Point of View Christian Bonhomme,*,† Christel Gervais,*,† Florence Babonneau,† Cristina Coelho,‡ Fred́eŕique Pourpoint,† Thierry Azaïs,† Sharon E. Ashbrook,* John M. Griffin, Jonathan R. Yates,* Francesco Mauri, and Chris J. Pickard †Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matier̀e Condenseé de Paris, Universite ́ Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7574, Colleg̀e de France, 75005 Paris, France ‡IMPC, Institut des Mateŕiaux de Paris Centre, FR2482, UPMC Universite ́ Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 06, Colleg̀e de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews KY16 9ST, United Kingdom Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, United Kingdom Laboratoire de Mineŕalogie Crystallographie, UMR CNRS 7590, Universite ́ Pierre et Marie Curie, UPMC, 75015 Paris, France Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

First-principles calculation of NMR parameters using the gauge including projector augmented wave method:a chemist's point of view

A computational technique for solving the MP2 equations for periodic systems using a local-correlation approach and implemented in the CRYSCOR code is presented. The Hartree-Fock solution provided by the CRYSTAL program is used as a reference. The motivations for the implementation of the new code are discussed, and the techniques adopted are briefly recalled. With respect to the original formulation (Pisani et al., J Chem Phys 2005, 122, 094113), many new features have been introduced in CRYSCOR to improve its efficiency and robustness. In particular, an adaptation of the density fitting scheme to translationally periodic systems is described, based on Fourier transformation techniques. Three examples of application are provided, concerning the CO(2) crystal, proton transfer in ice XI, and the adsorption of methane on MgO (001). The results obtained with the periodic LMP2 method for these systems appear more reliable than the ones obtained using density functional theory.

Periodic local MP2 method for the study of electronic correlation in crystals: Theory and preliminary applications.

It is shown that a local MP2 approach can be conveniently adopted as a first step towards the post-Hartree–Fock description of crystalline solids. The relation of a new periodic MP2 code (CRYSCOR) to a classical Hartree–Fock program (CRYSTAL) is outlined. As an illustration, the case of LiH, a prototypical ionic crystal, is treated in some detail by analyzing the effect of the perturbative correction on equilibrium geometry, lattice energy and electron distribution (X-ray structure factors, directional Compton profiles), with reference to experimental data.

Beyond a Hartree–Fock description of crystalline solids: the case of lithium hydride

Local MP2 periodic study of rare-gas crystals

Migen Halo,1 Cesare Pisani,1 Lorenzo Maschio,1 Silvia Casassa,1 Martin Schütz,2 and Denis Usvyat2 1Dipartimento di Chimica IFM, and Centre of Excellence NIS (Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces), Università di Torino, via Giuria 5, I-10125 Torino, Italy 2Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany (Received 9 December 2010; published 19 January 2011)

/pdf/electron-correlation-decides-the-stability-of-cubic-versus-13skvpc2pm.pdf

Electron correlation decides the stability of cubic versus hexagonal boron nitride.

Face-centered-cubic crystalline Neon is taken as a test system to explore the influence of computational parameters on the quality of the MP2 solution provided by the CRYSCOR program using a local-correlation approach. The effect of the various approximations adopted is analyzed: basis set limitations, finite size of excitation domains, truncation of the tails of the local functions, approximate evaluation of two-electron integrals, estimate (by extrapolation) of long-range contributions are shown to play roles of different importance. The Ne2 dimer is used as an auxiliary test case in order to allow comparison with recent and accurate literature data.

Migen Halo

Papers

Periodic local MP2 method for the study of electronic correlation in crystals: Theory and preliminary applications.

Beyond a Hartree–Fock description of crystalline solids: the case of lithium hydride

Local MP2 periodic study of rare-gas crystals

Electron correlation decides the stability of cubic versus hexagonal boron nitride.

Periodic local-MP2 computational study of crystalline neon