THE CONSTRUCTION OF AB INITIO‐BASED POTENTIAL ENERGY SURFACES

Tell Machine Learning Potentials What They Are Needed For: Simulation-Oriented Training Exemplified for Glycine

Machine learning potentials (MLPs) are widely applied as an efficient alternative way to represent potential energy surfaces (PESs) in many chemical simulations. The MLPs are often evaluated with the root-mean-square errors on the test set drawn from the same distribution as the training data. Here, we systematically investigate the relationship between such test errors and the simulation accuracy with MLPs on an example of a full-dimensional, global PES for the glycine amino acid. Our results show that the errors in the test set do not unambiguously reflect the MLP performance in different simulation tasks, such as relative conformer energies, barriers, vibrational levels, and zero-point vibrational energies. We also offer an easily accessible solution for improving the MLP quality in a simulation-oriented manner, yielding the most precise relative conformer energies and barriers. This solution also passed the stringent test by diffusion Monte Carlo simulations.

Accurate Potential Energy Surfaces Using Atom-Centered Potentials and Minimal High-Level Data

We demonstrate that a Δ-density functional theory (Δ-DFT) approach based on atom-centered potentials (ACPs) represents a computationally inexpensive and accurate method for representing potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the HONO and HFCO molecules and vibrational frequencies derived therefrom. Using as few as 100 CCSD(T)-F12a reference energies, ACPs developed for use with B3LYP/def2-TZVPP are shown to produce PESs for HONO and HFCO with mean absolute errors of 27.7 and 5.8 cm-1, respectively. Application of the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method with ACP-corrected B3LYP/def2-TZVPP PESs produces vibrational frequencies for cis- and trans-HONO with mean absolute percent errors (MAPEs) of 0.8 and 1.1, compared to 0.8 obtained for the two isomers with CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12/MCTDH. For HFCO, the vibrational frequencies obtained using the present (Δ-DFT)/MCTDH approach give a MAPE of 0.1, which is the error obtained with CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12/MCTDH. The ACP approach is therefore successful in representing a PES calculated at a high level of theory (CCSD(T)-F12a) and a promising method for the development of a general protocol for the representation of accurate molecular PESs and the calculation of molecular properties from them.

Theoretical Insights into the Dynamics of Gas-Phase Bimolecular Reactions with Submerged Barriers

Much attention has been paid to the dynamics of both activated gas-phase bimolecular reactions, which feature monotonically increasing integral cross sections and Arrhenius kinetics, and their barrierless capture counterparts, which manifest monotonically decreasing integral cross sections and negative temperature dependence of the rate coefficients. In this Perspective, we focus on the dynamics of gas-phase bimolecular reactions with submerged barriers, which often involve radicals or ions and are prevalent in combustion, atmospheric chemistry, astrochemistry, and plasma chemistry. The temperature dependence of the rate coefficients for such reactions is often non-Arrhenius and complex, and the corresponding dynamics may also be quite different from those with significant barriers or those completely dominated by capture. Recent experimental and theoretical studies of such reactions, particularly at relatively low temperatures or collision energies, have revealed interesting dynamical behaviors, which are discussed here. The new knowledge enriches our understanding of the dynamics of these unusual reactions.

MLRNet: Combining the Physics-Motivated Potential Models with Neural Networks for Intermolecular Potential Energy Surface Construction

A physics-based machine learning model called MLRNet has been developed to construct the high-accuracy two-body intermolecular potential energy surface (IPES). The outputs of the neural network are integrated into the physically realistic Morse/long-range (MLR) function, which ensures that the MLRNet has meaningful extrapolation at both short and long ranges and solves the asymptotic problem in common neural network potential (NNP) models. The neural network representation of the MLR parameters is more flexible and more efficient than the polynomial expansion in the conventional mdMLR model, especially for systems containing nonrigid monomer(s). The present work illustrates the basic framework of the current MLRNet model, including (i) how to combine the physically meaningful MLR function with different possible NN structures, (ii) the preservation of permutation symmetry, and (iii) the predetermination of the long-range function u_LR. We choose two realistic systems to demonstrate the performance of MLRNet: the three-dimensional IPES of CO₂-He including the CO₂ antisymmetric vibration Q₃ and the six-dimensional IPES of the H₂O-Ar system. In both cases, the fitting errors of the MLRNet are several times smaller than those of the conventional mdMLR model. Both short-range and long-range extrapolation tests were performed to illustrate the extrapolation ability of the MLRNet and its damping function version. Moreover, for the 6-D H₂O-Ar system, the MLRNet only needs 1596 trainable parameters, which is almost equal to the number needed for the 5-D mdMLR model (1509) and half that needed for the PIP-NN model (3501) within similar accuracy, which illustrates the model efficiency in high-dimensional IPES fitting.

Adaptive Fitting of Potential Energy Surfaces of Small to Medium-Sized Molecules in Sum-of-Product Form: Application to Vibrational Spectroscopy

A semi-automatic sampling and fitting procedure for generating sum-of-product (Born-Oppenheimer) potential energy surfaces based on a high-dimensional model representation is presented. The adaptive sampling procedure and subsequent fitting relies on energies only and can be used for re-fitting existing analytic potential energy surfaces in sum-of-product form or for direct fits from ab initio computa- tions. The method is tested by fitting ground electronic state potential energy surfaces for small to medium sized semi-rigid molecules, i.e., HFCO, HONO, and HCOOH, based upon ab initio computations at the CCSD(T)-F12/cc-pVTZ-F12 or MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of theory. Vibrational eigenstates are computed using block improved relaxation in the Heidelberg MCTDH package and compared to available experimental and theoretical data. The new potential energy surfaces are compared to the best ones currently available for these molecules, in terms of accuracy, including of resulting vibrational states, required numbers of sampling points, and number of fitting parameters. The present procedure leads to compact expansions and scales well with the number of dimensions for simple potentials such as single or double wells.

Interpolation Methods for Molecular Potential Energy Surface Construction

The concept of a potential energy surface (PES) is one of the most important concepts in modern chemistry. A PES represents the relationship between the chemical system's energy and its geometry (i.e., atom positions) and can provide useful information about the system's chemical properties and reactivity. Construction of accurate PESs with high-level theoretical methodologies, such as density functional theory, is still challenging due to a steep increase in the computational cost with the increase of the system size. Thus, over the past few decades, many different mathematical approaches have been applied to the problem of the cost-efficient PES construction. This article serves as a short overview of interpolative methods for the PES construction, including global polynomial interpolation, trigonometric interpolation, modified Shepard interpolation, interpolative moving least-squares, and the automated PES construction derived from these.

Efficient Approximation of Potential Energy Surfaces with Mixed-Basis Interpolation

The potential energy surface (PES) describes the energy of a chemical system as a function of its geometry and is a fundamental concept in modern chemistry. A PES provides much useful information about the system, including the structures and energies of various stationary points, such as stable conformers (local minima) and transition states (first-order saddle points) connected by a minimum-energy path. Our group has previously produced surrogate reduced-dimensional PESs using sparse interpolation along chemically significant reaction coordinates, such as bond lengths, bond angles, and torsion angles. These surrogates used a single interpolation basis, either polynomials or trigonometric functions, in every dimension. However, relevant molecular dynamics (MD) simulations often involve some combination of both periodic and nonperiodic coordinates. Using a trigonometric basis on nonperiodic coordinates, such as bond lengths, leads to inaccuracies near the domain boundary. Conversely, polynomial interpolation on the periodic coordinates does not enforce the periodicity of the surrogate PES gradient, leading to nonconservation of total energy even in a microcanonical ensemble. In this work, we present an interpolation method that uses trigonometric interpolation on the periodic reaction coordinates and polynomial interpolation on the nonperiodic coordinates. We apply this method to MD simulations of possible isomerization pathways of azomethane between cis and trans conformers. This method is the only known interpolative method that appropriately conserves total energy in systems with both periodic and nonperiodic reaction coordinates. In addition, compared to all-polynomial interpolation, the mixed basis requires fewer electronic structure calculations to obtain a given level of accuracy, is an order of magnitude faster, and is freely available on GitHub.

Reinterpreting the vibrational structure in the electronic spectrum of the propargyl cation (H2C3H+) using an efficient and accurate quantum model

The B̃¹A₁ ← X̃¹A₁ absorption spectra of propargyl cations H₂C₃H⁺ and D₂C₃D⁺ were simulated by an efficient two-dimensional (2D) quantum model, which includes the C-C stretch (v₅) and the C≡C stretch (v₃) vibrational modes. The choice of two modes was based on a scheme that can identify the active modes quantitively by examining the normal coordinate displacements (∆Q) directly based on the ab initio equilibrium geometries and frequencies of the X̃¹A₁ and B̃¹A₁ states of H₂C₃H⁺. The spectrum calculated by the 2D model was found to be very close to those calculated by all the higher three-dimensional (3D) quantum models (including v₅, v₃, and another one in 12 modes of H₂C₃H⁺), which validates the 2D model. The calculated B̃¹A₁ ← X̃¹A₁ absorption spectra of both H₂C₃H⁺ and D₂C₃D⁺ are in fairly good agreement with experimental results.

Advances and New Challenges to Bimolecular Reaction Dynamics Theory

Dynamics of bimolecular reactions in the gas phase are of foundational importance in combustion, atmospheric chemistry, interstellar chemistry, and plasma chemistry. These collision-induced chemical transformations are a sensitive probe of the underlying potential energy surface(s). Despite tremendous progress in past decades, our understanding is still not complete. In this Perspective, we survey the recent advances in theoretical characterization of bimolecular reaction dynamics, stimulated by new experimental observations, and identify key new challenges.

Automated Construction of Potential Energy Surfaces Suitable to Describe van der Waals Complexes with Highly Excited Nascent Molecules: The Rotational Spectra of Ar-CS(v) and Ar-SiS(v)

Some reactions produce extremely hot nascent products which nevertheless can form sufficiently long-lived van der Waals (vdW) complexes-with atoms or molecules from a bath gas-as to be observed via microwave spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations of such unbound resonance states can be much more challenging than ordinary bound-state calculations depending on the approach employed. One encounters not just the floppy, and perhaps multiwelled potential energy surface (PES) characteristic of vdWs complexes, but in addition, one must contend with excitation of the intramolecular modes and its corresponding influence on the PES. Straightforward computation of the (resonance) rovibrational levels of interest, involves the added complication of the unbound nature of the wave function, often treated with techniques such as introducing a complex absorbing potential. Here, we have demonstrated that a simplified approach of making a series of vibrationally effective PESs for the intermolecular coordinates-one for each reaction product vibrational quantum number of interest-can produce vdW levels for the complex with spectroscopic accuracy. This requires constructing a series of appropriately weighted lower-dimensional PESs for which we use our freely available PES-fitting code AUTOSURF. The applications of this study are the Ar-CS and Ar-SiS complexes, which are isovalent to Ar-CO and Ar-SiO, the latter of which we considered in a previously reported study. Using a series of vibrationally effective PESs, rovibrational levels and predicted microwave transition frequencies for both complexes were computed variationally. A series of shifting rotational transition frequencies were also computed as a function of the diatom vibrational quantum number. The predicted transitions were used to guide and inform an experimental effort to make complementary observations. Comparisons are given for the transitions that are within the range of the spectrometer and were successfully recorded. Calculations of the rovibrational level pattern agree to within 0.2% with experimental measurements.

Computational study of the ro-vibrational spectrum of CO-CO2

An accurate ab initio ground-state intermolecular potential energy surface (PES) was determined for the CO-CO₂ van der Waals dimer. The Lanczos algorithm was used to compute rovibrational energies on this PES. For both the C-in and O-in T-shaped isomers, the fundamental transition frequencies agree well with previous experimental results. We confirm that the in-plane states previously observed are geared states. In addition, we have computed and assigned many other vibrational states. The rotational constants we determine from J = 1 energy levels agree well with their experimental counterparts. Planar and out-of-plane cuts of some of the wavefunctions we compute are quite different, indicating strong coupling between the bend and torsional modes. Because the stable isomers are T-shaped, vibration along the out-of-plane coordinates is very floppy. In CO-CO₂, when the molecule is out-of-plane, interconversion of the isomers is possible, but the barrier height is higher than the in-plane geared barrier height.