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

An Ab Initio Neural Network Potential Energy Surface for the Dimer of Formic Acid and Further Quantum Tunneling Dynamics

We construct a full-dimensional ab initio neural network potential energy surface (PES) for the isomerization system of the formic acid dimer (FAD). This is based upon ab initio calculations using the DLPNO-CCSD(T) approach with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set, performed at over 14000 symmetry-unique geometries. An accurate fit to the obtained energies is generated using a general neural network fitting procedure combined with the fundamental invariant method, and the overall energy-weighted root-mean-square fitting error is about 6.4 cm^-1. Using this PES, we present a multidimensional quantum dynamics study on tunneling splittings with an efficient theoretical scheme developed by our group. The ground-state tunneling splitting of FAD calculated with a four-mode coupled method is in good agreement with the most recent experimental measurements. The PES can be applied for further dynamics studies. The effectiveness of the present scheme for constructing a high-dimensional PES is demonstrated, and this scheme is expected to be feasible for larger molecular systems.

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 of PH2(X2B1) via extrapolation to the complete basis set limit and the dynamics of P(2D) + H2(X1Σ+g) → PH(X3Σ−) + H(2S)

A global PEC of the ground state PH2 was constructed using the CHIPR method based on accurate MRCI(Q)/CBS(T, Q) energy points. The ICS and k(T) of P(2D) + H2(X1Σ+g) → PH(X3Σ−) + H(2S) were calculated based on the QCT method.

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.