Energy-switching potential energy surface for ground-state C3

Reconciling spectroscopy with dynamics in global potential energy surfaces: the case of the astrophysically relevant SiC_{2}

SiC_{2} is a fascinating molecule due to its unusual bonding and astrophysical importance. In this work, we report the first global potential energy surface (PES) for ground-state SiC_{2} using the combined-hyperbolic-inverse-power-representation (CHIPR) method and accurate ab initio energies. The calibration grid data is obtained via a general dual-level protocol developed afresh herein that entails both coupled-cluster and multireference configuration interaction energies jointly extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. Such an approach is specially devised to recover much of the spectroscopy from the PES, while still permitting a proper fragmentation of the system to allow for reaction dynamics studies. Besides describing accurately the valence strongly-bound region that includes both the cyclic global minimum and isomerization barriers, the final analytic PES form is shown to properly reproduce dissociation energies,diatomic potentials, and long-range interactions at all asymptotic channels, in addition to naturally reflect the correct permutational symmetry of the potential. Bound vibrational state calculations have been carried out, unveiling an excellent match of the available experimental data on c-SiC_{2}(^{1}A_{1}). To further exploit the global nature of the PES, exploratory quasi-classical trajectory calculations for the endothermic C2 +Si → SiC+C reaction are also performed, yielding thermalized rate coefficients for temperatures up to 5000 K. The results hint for the prominence of this reaction in the innermost layers of the circumstellar envelopes around carbon-rich stars, thence conceivably playing therein a key contribution to the gas-phase formation of SiC, and eventually, solid SiC dust.

A global CHIPR potential energy surface for ground-state C3H and exploratory dynamics studies of reaction C2 + CH → C3 + H

A full-dimensional global potential-energy surface (PES) is first reported for ground-state doublet C₃H using the combined-hyperbolic-inverse-power-representation (CHIPR) method and accurate ab initio energies extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. The PES is based on a many-body expansion-type development where the two-body and three-body energy terms are from our previously reported analytic potentials for C₂H(²A') and C₃(¹A',³A'), while the effective four-body one is calibrated using an extension of the CHIPR formalism for tetratomics. The final form is shown to accurately reproduce all known stationary structures of the PES, some of which are unreported thus far, and their interconversion pathways. Moreover, it warrants by built-in construction the appropriate permutational symmetry and describes in a physically reasonable manner all long-range features and the correct asymptotic behavior at dissociation. Exploratory quasi-classical trajectory calculations for the reaction C₂ + CH → C₃ + H are also performed, yielding thermalized rate coefficients for temperatures up to 4000 K.

Multistate Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Proton Diffusion in Water Clusters and in the Bulk

The molecular mechanics with proton transfer (MMPT) force field is combined with multistate adiabatic reactive molecular dynamics (MS-ARMD) to describe proton transport in the condensed phase. Parametrization for small protonated water clusters based on electronic structure calculations at the MP2/6-311+G(2d,2p) level of theory and refinement by comparing with infrared spectra for a protonated water tetramer yields a force field which faithfully describes the minimum energy structures of small protonated water clusters. In protonated water clusters up to (H₂O)₁₀₀H⁺, the proton hopping rate is around 100 hops/ns. This rate converges for 21 ≤ n ≤ 31, and no further speedup in bulk water is found. This indicates that bulklike behavior requires the solvation of a Zundel motif by ∼25 water molecules, which corresponds to the second solvation sphere. For smaller cluster sizes, the number of available states (i.e., the number of proton acceptors) is too small and slows down proton-transfer rates. The cluster simulations confirm that the excess proton is typically located on the surface. The free-energy surface as a function of the weights of the two lowest states and a configurational parameter suggests that the "special pair" plays a central role in rapid proton transport. The barriers between this minimum-energy structure and the Zundel and Eigen minima are sufficiently low (∼1 kcal/mol, consistent with recent experiments and commensurate with a hopping rate of ∼100/ns or 1 every 10 ps), leading to a highly dynamic environment. These findings are also consistent with recent experiments which find that Zundel-type hydration geometries are prevalent in bulk water.

Accurate CHIPR Potential Energy Surface for the Lowest Triplet State of C3

We report the first global ab initio-based potential energy surface (PES) for ground-state triplet C₃(³A') based on accurate energies extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit, and using the combined-hyperbolic-inverse-power-representation method for the analytical modeling. By relying on a cost-effective CBS(D,T) protocol, we ensure that the final form reproduces all topographical features of the PES, including its cyclic-linear isomerization barrier, with CBS(5,6)-quality. To partially account for the incompleteness of the N-electron basis and other minor effects, the available accurate experimental data on the relevant diatomics were used to obtain direct-fit curves that replace the theoretical ones in the many-body expansion. Besides describing properly long-range interactions at all asymptotic channels and permutational symmetry by built-in construction, the PES reported here reproduces the proper exothermicities at dissociation regions as well as the spectroscopy of the diatomic fragments. Bound vibrational state calculations in both linear and cyclic isomers have also been carried out, unveiling a good match of the available data on C₃(ã ³Π_u), while assisting with IR band positions for C₃(³A₂^') that may serve as a guide for its laboratory and astronomical detection.

Difficulties and Virtues in Assessing the Potential Energy Surfaces of Carbon Clusters via DMBE Theory: Stationary Points of Cκ (κ = 2-10) at the Focal Point

The previously reported potential energy surfaces (PESs) of ground-state singlet C₃ and triplet C₄ are here utilized as input for the construction of approximate cluster expansions for larger C_κ (κ = 5-10) species. Relying primarily on the double many-body expansion (DMBE) approach, global potentials are obtained by summing the total interaction energies of all atomic subclusters up to four-body terms. The notable capability of the final forms in predicting good estimates of the linear global minima and their thermochemical/structural properties may provide important insights into the structure-determining nature of the (2 + 3 + 4) terms. The main difficulties and virtues in assessing C_κ's via DMBE theory are analyzed and new prospects given for the construction of global reliable PESs for the target species.