Theoretical investigation of the ethylene dimer: Interaction energy and dipole moment

MP2-IQA: upscaling the analysis of topologically partitioned electron correlation

When electronic correlation energy is partitioned topologically, a detailed picture of its distribution emerges, both within atoms and between any two atoms. This methodology allows one to study dispersion beyond its more narrow definition in long-range Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory. The interacting quantum atoms (IQA) method was applied to MP2/6-31G(d,p) (uncontracted) wave functions of a wide variety of systems: glycine…water (hydration), the ethene dimer (π-π interactions), benzene (aromaticity), cyclobutadiene (antiaromaticity), and NH₃BH₃ (dative bond). Through the study of molecular complexes it turns out that dispersion energy is either important to a system's stabilization (for the C₂H₄ dimer) or not important (for Gly…H₂O). We have also discovered that the delocalization in benzene lowers the strength of Coulomb repulsion in the bonds, which has been quantified for the first time through IQA. Finally, we showed that the nature of the dative bond is much different from that of a regular covalent bond as it is not destabilized by electronic correlation. Finally, the conclusions obtained for these archetypical systems have implications for the future of the quantum topological force field FFLUX in the simulation of larger systems. Graphical abstract Atomic and bond dynamic correlation energies are now available thanks to IQA. Larger molecules can now be accessed to include resonance and solvation of FFLUX force field.

Divide-Expand-Consolidate Second-Order Møller-Plesset Theory with Periodic Boundary Conditions

We present a generalization of the divide-expand-consolidate (DEC) framework for local coupled-cluster calculations to periodic systems and test it at the second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) level of theory. For simple model systems with periodicity in one, two, and three dimensions, comparisons with extrapolated molecular calculations and the local MP2 implementation in the Cryscor program show that the correlation energy errors of the extended DEC (X-DEC) algorithm can be controlled through a single parameter, the fragment optimization threshold. Two computational bottlenecks are identified: the size of the virtual orbital spaces and the number of pair fragments required to achieve a given accuracy of the correlation energy. For the latter, we propose an affordable algorithm based on cubic splines interpolation of a limited number of pair-fragment interaction energies to determine a pair cutoff distance in accordance with the specified fragment optimization threshold.

Long-range interactions from the many-pair expansion: A different avenue to dispersion in DFT

One of the several problems that plague majority of density functional theory calculations is their inability to properly account for long-range correlations giving rise to dispersion forces. The recently proposed many-pair expansion (MPE) [T. Zhu et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 201108(R) (2016)] is a hierarchy of approximations that systematically corrects any deficiencies of an approximate functional to finally converge to the exact energy. This is achieved by decomposing the total density into a sum of two-electron densities and accounting for successive two-, four-, six-,… electron interactions. Here, we show that already low orders of MPE expansion recover the dispersion energy accurately. To this end, we employ the Pariser-Parr-Pople Hamiltonian and study the behavior of long-range interactions in trans-polyacetylene as well as stacks of ethylene and benzene molecules. We also show how convergence of the expansion is affected by electron conjugation and the choice of the density partitioning.

Interactions of Molecules with cis and trans Double Bonds: A Theoretical Study of cis- and trans-2-Butene

Noncovalent interactions of cis- and trans-2-butene, as the smallest model systems of molecules with cis and trans double bonds, were studied to find potential differences in interactions of these molecules. The study was performed using quantum chemical methods including very accurate CCSD(T)/CBS method. We studied parallel and displaced parallel interactions in 2-butene dimers, in butane dimers, and between 2-butene and saturated butane. The results show the trend that interactions of 2-butene with butane are the strongest, followed by interactions in butane dimers, whereas the interaction in 2-butene dimers are the weakest. The strongest calculated interaction energy is between trans-2-butene and butane, with a CCSD(T)/CBS energy of -2.80 kcal mol(-1) . Interactions in cis-2-butene dimers are stronger than interactions in trans-2-butene dimers. Interestingly, some of the interactions involving 2-butene are as strong as interactions in a benzene dimer. These insights into interactions of cis- and trans-2-butene can improve understanding of the properties and processes that involve molecules with cis and trans double bonds, such as fatty acids and polymers.

Ordered phases of ethylene adsorbed on charged fullerenes and their aggregates

In spite of extensive investigations of ethylene adsorbed on graphite, bundles of nanotubes, and crystals of fullerenes, little is known about the existence of commensurate phases; they have escaped detection in almost all previous work. Here we present a combined experimental and theoretical study of ethylene adsorbed on free C₆₀ and its aggregates. The ion yield of [Formula: see text] measured by mass spectrometry reveals a propensity to form a structurally ordered phase on monomers, dimers and trimers of C₆₀ in which all sterically accessible hollow sites over carbon rings are occupied. Presumably the enhancement of the corrugation by the curvature of the fullerene surface favors this phase which is akin to a hypothetical 1 × 1 phase on graphite. Experimental data also reveal the number of molecules in groove sites of the C₆₀ dimer through tetramer. The identity of the sites, adsorption energies and orientations of the adsorbed molecules are determined by molecular dynamics calculations based on quantum chemical potentials, as well as density functional theory. The decrease in orientational order with increasing temperature is also explored in the simulations whereas in the experiment it is impossible to vary the temperature.

Infrared spectra of ethylene clusters: (C2D4)2 and (C2D4)3

Spectra of ethylene dimers and trimers are studied in the ν(11) fundamental band region of C(2)D(4) (≈2200 cm(-1)) using a tuneable quantum cascade laser to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. The dimer spectrum is that of a prolate symmetric top perpendicular band, with a distinctive appearance because the A rotational constant is almost exactly equal to six times the B constant. The analysis supports the previously determined cross-shaped dimer structure with D(2d) symmetry. An ethylene trimer has not previously been observed with rotational resolution. The spectrum is that of an oblate symmetric top parallel band. It leads to a proposed trimer structure which is barrel shaped and has C(3h) or C(3) symmetry, with the ethylene monomer C-C axes approximately aligned along the trimer symmetry axis.