A summary of the technical advances that are incorporated in the fourth major release of the Q-Chem quantum chemistry program is provided, covering approximately the last seven years. These include developments in density functional theory methods and algorithms, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) property evaluation, coupled cluster and perturbation theories, methods for electronically excited and open-shell species, tools for treating extended environments, algorithms for walking on potential surfaces, analysis tools, energy and electron transfer modelling, parallel computing capabilities, and graphical user interfaces. In addition, a selection of example case studies that illustrate these capabilities is given. These include extensive benchmarks of the comparative accuracy of modern density functionals for bonded and non-bonded interactions, tests of attenuated second order Moller–Plesset (MP2) methods for intermolecular interactions, a variety of parallel performance benchmarks, and tests of the accuracy of implicit solvation models. Some specific chemical examples include calculations on the strongly correlated Cr_2 dimer, exploring zeolite-catalysed ethane dehydrogenation, energy decomposition analysis of a charged ter-molecular complex arising from glycerol photoionisation, and natural transition orbitals for a Frenkel exciton state in a nine-unit model of a self-assembling nanotube.

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Advances in molecular quantum chemistry contained in the Q-Chem 4 program package

A combined quantum mechanical (QM) and molecular mechanical (MM) potential has been developed for the study of reactions in condensed phases. For the quantum mechanical calculations semiempirical methods of the MNDO and AM1 type are used, while the molecular mechanics part is treated with the CHARMM force field. Specific prescriptions are given for the interactions between the QM and MM portions of the system; cases in which the QM and MM methodology is applied to parts of the same molecule or to different molecules are considered. The details of the method and a range of test calculations, including comparisons with ab initio and experimental results, are given. It is found that in many cases satisfactory results are obtained. However, there are limitations to this type of approach, some of which arise from the AM1 or MNDO methods themselves and others from the present QM/MM implementation. This suggests that it is important to test the applicability of the method to each particular case prior to its use. Possible areas of improvement in the methodology are discussed.

A combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical potential for molecular dynamics simulations

A summary of the technical advances that are incorporated in the fourth major release of the Q-Chem quantum chemistry program is provided, covering approximately the last seven years. These include developments in density functional theory methods and algorithms, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) property evaluation, coupled cluster and perturbation theories, methods for electronically excited and open-shell species, tools for treating extended environments, algorithms for walking on potential surfaces, analysis tools, energy and electron transfer modelling, parallel computing capabilities, and graphical user interfaces. In addition, a selection of example case studies that illustrate these capabilities is given. These include extensive benchmarks of the comparative accuracy of modern density functionals for bonded and non-bonded interactions, tests of attenuated second order Møller–Plesset (MP2) methods for intermolecular interactions, a variety of parallel performance benchmarks, and tests of the accuracy of implicit solvation models. Some specific chemical examples include calculations on the strongly correlated Cr2 dimer, exploring zeolite-catalysed ethane dehydrogenation, energy decomposition analysis of a charged ter-molecular complex arising from glycerol photoionisation, and natural transition orbitals for a Frenkel exciton state in a nine-unit model of a self-assembling nanotube.

RESEARCH ARTICLE Advances in molecular quantum chemistry contained in the Q-Chem 4 program package

An extension of the classical trajectory approach is proposed that may be useful in treating many types of nonadiabatic molecular collisions. Nuclei are assumed to move classically on a single potential energy surface until an avoided surface crossing or other region of large nonadiabatic coupling is reached. At such points the trajectory is split into two branches, each of which follows a different potential surface. The validity of this model as applied to the HD2+ system is assessed by numerical integration of the appropriate semiclassical equations. A 3d “trajectory surface hopping” treatment of the reaction of H+ with D2 at a collision energy of 4 eV is reported. The excellent agreement with experiment is an encouraging indication of the potential usefulness of this approach.

Trajectory Surface Hopping Approach to Nonadiabatic Molecular Collisions: The Reaction of H+ with D2

A quasiclassical procedure for the examination of the collision dynamics of atom—diatomic‐molecule reactions with activation energy is introduced. By means of Monte Carlo averages over a large number of appropriately chosen three‐dimensional classical trajectories, the total reaction cross section (Sr) and other reaction attributes can be determined as a function of the initial relative velocity (Vr) and the initial molecular rotation‐vibration state (J, ν).The method is applied to the exchange reaction resulting from a hydrogen atom and a hydrogen molecule moving on a simple barrier potential of the London—Eyring—Polanyi—Sato type. It is found that Sr is a monotonically increasing function of relative velocity that rises smoothly from a threshold at ∼0.9×106 cm/sec to its asymptotic value of ∼4.5a02 at ∼1.8×106 cm/sec. The zero‐point vibrational energy of the molecule contributes to the energy required for reaction, but the rotational energy does not. The reaction probability, which depends on VR, ν, and...

Exchange Reactions with Activation Energy. I. Simple Barrier Potential for (H, H2)

The results of a direct examination of the collision dynamics that represents the first complete quasiclassical calculation of an atom-molecule (H,H₂) exchange reaction for a realistic potential without restrictive approximations are outlined. The differential and the total cross sections for the reaction are evaluated by integration of the appropriate equations of motion. From the cross sections, rate constants were determined by averaging over the distribution of initial conditions corresponding to particular experimental situations. Analysis of trajectories yielded detailed information concerning the nature of the reactive collision (collision time, configuration in neighborhood of saddle point, dependence of reaction probability on impact parameter). (P.C.H.)

R. N. Porter

Papers

Exchange Reactions with Activation Energy. I. Simple Barrier Potential for (H, H2)

Dynamics of Reactive Collisions: The H +H2 Exchange Reaction

Energy Dependence of Cross Sections for Hot Tritium Reactions with Hydrogen and Deuterium Molecules