Direct Chemical Dynamics Simulations

Subha Pratihar, Xinyou Ma, Zahra Homayoon, George L. Barnes, William L. Hase

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

125 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a direct dynamics simulation, the technologies of chemical dynamics and electronic structure theory are coupled so that the potential energy, gradient, and Hessian required from the simulation are obtained directly from the electronic structure theory. These simulations are extensively used to (1) interpret experimental results and understand the atomic-level dynamics of chemical reactions; (2) illustrate the ability of classical simulations to correctly interpret and predict chemical dynamics when quantum effects are expected to be unimportant; (3) obtain the correct classical dynamics predicted by an electronic structure theory; (4) determine a deeper understanding of when statistical theories are valid for predicting the mechanisms and rates of chemical reactions; and (5) discover new reaction pathways and chemical dynamics. Direct dynamics simulation studies are described for bimolecular SN2 nucleophilic substitution, unimolecular decomposition, post-transition-state dynamics, mass spectrometry experiments, and semiclassical vibrational spectra. Also included are discussions of quantum effects, the accuracy of classical chemical dynamics simulation, and the methodology of direct dynamics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3570-3590
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume139
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 15 2017
Externally publishedYes

Funding

The direct dynamics simulations by the Hase research group are supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CHE-1416428, the Robert A. Welch Foundation under Grant No. D-0005, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under AFOSR Award Nos. FA9550-16-1-0133 and FA9550-17-1-0119. The authors wish to thank Dr. Jing Xie for helpful comments.

FundersFunder number
Robert A. Welch FoundationD-0005
National Science FoundationCHE-1416428, 1662030
Air Force Office of Scientific ResearchFA9550-16-1-0133, FA9550-17-1-0119

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