876 research outputs found
Assessment of interatomic potentials for atomistic analysis of static and dynamic properties of screw dislocations in W
Screw dislocations in bcc metals display non-planar cores at zero temperature
which result in high lattice friction and thermally activated strain rate
behavior. In bcc W, electronic structure molecular statics calculations reveal
a compact, non-degenerate core with an associated Peierls stress between 1.7
and 2.8 GPa. However, a full picture of the dynamic behavior of dislocations
can only be gained by using more efficient atomistic simulations based on
semiempirical interatomic potentials. In this paper we assess the suitability
of five different potentials in terms of static properties relevant to screw
dislocations in pure W. As well, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of
stress-assisted glide using all five potentials to study the dynamic behavior
of screw dislocations under shear stress. Dislocations are seen to display
thermally-activated motion in most of the applied stress range, with a gradual
transition to a viscous damping regime at high stresses. We find that one
potential predicts a core transformation from compact to dissociated at finite
temperature that affects the energetics of kink-pair production and impacts the
mechanism of motion. We conclude that a modified embedded-atom potential
achieves the best compromise in terms of static and dynamic screw dislocation
properties, although at an expense of about ten-fold compared to central
potentials
Ultra-Fast Semi-Empirical Quantum Chemistry for High-Throughput Computational Campaigns with Sparrow
Semi-empirical quantum chemical approaches are known to compromise accuracy
for feasibility of calculations on huge molecules. However, the need for
ultrafast calculations in interactive quantum mechanical studies,
high-throughput virtual screening, and for data-driven machine learning has
shifted the emphasis towards calculation runtimes recently. This comes with new
constraints for the software implementation as many fast calculations would
suffer from a large overhead of manual setup and other procedures that are
comparatively fast when studying a single molecular structure, but which become
prohibitively slow for high-throughput demands. In this work, we discuss the
effect of various well-established semi-empirical approximations on calculation
speed and relate this to data transfer rates from the raw-data source computer
to the results visualization front end. For the former, we consider desktop
computers, local high performance computing, as well as remote cloud services
in order to elucidate the effect on interactive calculations, for web and cloud
interfaces in local applications, and in world-wide interactive virtual
sessions. The models discussed in this work have been implemented into our
open-source software SCINE Sparrow.Comment: 39 pages, 4 figures, 4 table
Analytic many-body potential for GaAs(001) homoepitaxy: Bulk and surface properties
We employ atomic-scale simulation methods to investigate bulk and surface properties of an analytic Tersoff- Abell type potential for describing interatomic interactions in GaAs. The potential is a modified form of that proposed by Albe and colleagues [Phys. Rev. B 66, 035205 (2002)] in which the cut-off parameters for the As-As interaction have been shortened.With this modification, many bulk properties predicted by the potential for solid GaAs are the same as those in the original potential, but properties of the GaAs(001) surface better match results from first-principles calculations with density-functional theory (DFT). We tested the ability of the potential to reproduce the phonon dispersion and heat capacity of bulk solid GaAs by comparing it to experiment and the overall agreement is good. In the modified potential, the GaAs(001) β2(2 × 4) reconstruction is favored under As-rich growth conditions in agreement with DFT calculations. Additionally, the binding energies and diffusion barriers for a Ga adatom on the β2(2 × 4) reconstruction generally match results from DFT calculations. These studies indicate that the potential is suitable for investigating aspects of GaAs(001) homoepitaxy
Optimization of parameters for semiempirical methods VI: more modifications to the NDDO approximations and re-optimization of parameters
Modern semiempirical methods are of sufficient accuracy when used in the modeling of molecules of the same type as used as reference data in the parameterization. Outside that subset, however, there is an abundance of evidence that these methods are of very limited utility. In an attempt to expand the range of applicability, a new method called PM7 has been developed. PM7 was parameterized using experimental and high-level ab initio reference data, augmented by a new type of reference data intended to better define the structure of parameter space. The resulting method was tested by modeling crystal structures and heats of formation of solids. Two changes were made to the set of approximations: a modification was made to improve the description of noncovalent interactions, and two minor errors in the NDDO formalism were rectified. Average unsigned errors (AUEs) in geometry and ΔH(f) for PM7 were reduced relative to PM6; for simple gas-phase organic systems, the AUE in bond lengths decreased by about 5 % and the AUE in ΔH(f) decreased by about 10 %; for organic solids, the AUE in ΔH(f) dropped by 60 % and the reduction was 33.3 % for geometries. A two-step process (PM7-TS) for calculating the heights of activation barriers has been developed. Using PM7-TS, the AUE in the barrier heights for simple organic reactions was decreased from values of 12.6 kcal/mol(-1) in PM6 and 10.8 kcal/mol(-1) in PM7 to 3.8 kcal/mol(-1). The origins of the errors in NDDO methods have been examined, and were found to be attributable to inadequate and inaccurate reference data. This conclusion provides insight into how these methods can be improved. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00894-012-1667-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
Universal QM/MM Approaches for General Nanoscale Applications
Hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) hybrid models allow one
to address chemical phenomena in complex molecular environments. However, they
are tedious to construct and they usually require significant manual
preprocessing and expertise. As a result, these models may not be easily
transferable to new application areas and the many parameters are not easy to
adjust to reference data that are typically scarce. Therefore, it has been
difficult to devise automated procedures of controllable accuracy, which makes
such type of modelling far from being standardized or of black-box type.
Although diverse best-practice protocols have been set up for the construction
of individual components of a QM/MM model (e.g., the MM potential, the type of
embedding, the choice of the QM region), no automated procedures are available
for all steps of the QM/MM model construction. Here, we review the state of the
art of QM/MM modeling with a focus on automation. We elaborate on the MM model
parametrization, on atom-economical physically-motivated QM region selection,
and on embedding schemes that incorporate mutual polarization as critical
components of the QM/MM model. In view of the broad scope of the field, we
mostly restrict the discussion to methodologies that build de novo models based
on first-principles data, on uncertainty quantification, and on error
mitigation with a high potential for automation. Ultimately, it is desirable to
be able to set up reliable QM/MM models in a fast and efficient automated way
without being constrained by some specific chemical or technical limitations.Comment: 54 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
THE DESIGN OF A POINT OF CARE FET BIOSENSOR TO DETECT AND SCREEN COVID-19
This work proposes and demonstrates a biosensor with reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) based Field Effect Transistor (FET) for rapid and selective detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The main objective of this thesis is to detect the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antigen on spot selectively and rapidly. The rGO channel is coated with the spike protein antibodies to achieve selectivity. Moreover, the biosensing performance and specificity are governed by decorating the sensor’s channel with Metal Nanoparticles (MNPs) such as, copper, and silver. The designed sensor successfully detects the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and shows singular electrical behavior for detection. The rGO-FET biosensor electronic transport characteristics such as transmission spectrum, electronic current, and transfer curves are studied by using semiempirical modeling combined with a nonequilibrium Green’s function. The transmission spectrum, I-V and transfer curves are investigated to spot the performance alteration caused by detecting the target molecule. The sensor is also tested against another virus, namely Rabies virus, and showed no detection reaction towards it. The introduced sensor is 8.2 nm long and 6.1 nm wide which makes it a perfect candidate for easy handling and transporting. RGO FET-based biosensor is developed and tested to take the advantage of the unique electronic properties of the rGO channel and offer a quick, rapid, easy, and accurate detection method for SARS-CoV-2 virus. The semiempirical study, along with the simulations results are in agreement with the previous literature studies and provide an excellent pathway for practical fabrication
Improved time-resolved measurements of inorganic ions in particulate matter by PILS-IC integrated with a sample pre-concentration system
A particle-into-liquid sampler coupled with ion chromatograph (PILS-IC) for the on-line measurement of inorganic ions has been modified by the insertion of two ion-exchange pre-concentration cartridges that enrich the sample during the period of the IC analysis. The limits of detection of the modified instrument were 10-15 times lower and the time coverage 24 times higher (from 2 to 48 min per hour) than those of the original PILS-IC setup. The instrumental performance in terms of recovery and break-through volume from the cartridges was satisfactory. The modified PILS-IC was operated in comparison with a diffusion denuder line and with a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS) during a short intensive measurement period organized in the framework of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), a co-operative program for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of the air pollutants in Europe. The instrument showed a quantitative response in agreement with the results of the diffusion lines, and an ability to trace fine concentration variations not so different from the performance of the much more complex HR-TOF-AMS. From the time patterns of the ion concentrations measured by the modified PILS-IC, it was possible to obtain useful information about the variations in the air quality and in the strength of the particulate matter sourc
Performance of Localized-Orbital Coupled Cluster Approaches for the Conformational Energies of Longer n-alkane Chains
We report an update and enhancement of the ACONFL (conformer energies of
large alkanes [Ehlert, S.; Grimme, S.; Hansen, A. J. Phys. Chem. A 2022, 126,
3521-3535]) dataset. For the ACONF12 (n-dodecane) subset, we report basis set
limit canonical CCSD(T) reference data obtained from MP2-F12/cc-pV{T,Q}Z-F12
extrapolation, [CCSD(F12*)-MP2-F12]/aug-cc-pVTZ-F12, and a (T) correction from
conventional CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV{D,T}Z calculations. Then we explored the
performance of a variety of single and composite localized-orbital CCSD(T)
approximations, ultimately finding an affordable LNO-CCSD(T)-based post-MP2
correction that agrees to 0.008 kcal/mol MAD (mean absolute deviation) with the
revised canonical reference data. In tandem with canonical MP2-F12/CBS
extrapolation, this was then used to re-evaluate the ACONF16 and ACONF20
subsets for n-hexadecane and n-icosane, respectively. A revised ACONFL set was
thus obtained. It was then used to assess the performance of different
localized-orbital coupled cluster approaches, such as PNO-LCCSD(T) as
implemented in MOLPRO, DLPNO-CCSD (T1) as implemented in ORCA, and LNO-CCSD(T)
as implemented in MRCC, at their various accuracy settings. A three-tier
LNO-CCSD(T)-based composite scheme disagrees by only 0.02 kcal/mol from the
revised ACONFL reference data. When extrapolated to the complete PNO space
limit, DLPNO-CCSD(T1, Tight) and a composite method are the best picks among
all the localized coupled cluster methods tested for the dodecane conformers.
Dispersion-corrected dRPA-based double hybrids perform remarkably well for the
ACONFL set. While the revised reference data do not affect any conclusions on
the less accurate methods, they may upend orderings for more accurate methods
with error statistics on the same order as the difference between reference
datasets.Comment: 28 pages, submitte
Simulations of proton transfer processes using reactive force fields
Within this thesis we presented the development of reactive force fields that are ca-
pable to describe the dynamics of proton and hydrogen atom transfer processes. The
presented implementation in CHARMM overcomes the limitation that bond break-
ing and formation cannot be investigated by conventional classical MD simulations.
Derived from high-level ab initio calculations this approach combines the accuracy of
such calculations with the speed of MD simulations. The high-quality force fields of
the prototype systems are comparable to high-level ab initio calculations in terms of
structure and energy barriers. The PESs of proton transfer reactions are extremely
sensitive with respect to the chemical environment. Nevertheless one is always able
to classify the PT under investigation into symmetric and asymmetric PES. We de-
veloped a series of parameter sets that are not only able to describe symmetric and
asymmetric correctly but also can accommodate to different locations of energetic
minima and barriers. The chosen three-dimensional potential energy functions have
shown to be quite flexible and transferable in characterizing PT reactions in quite
diverse chemical systems. The morphing transformation of MMPT force field param-
eter, starting from one of our prototype systems to develop a new force field for a new
molecular system which exhibits a similar topology in the PES along the proton reac-
tion coordinates, has been shown to be successfully applicable in various examples.
Energy scaling has been employed to investigate the effect on the proton transfer os-
cillation in NH+
4 · · ·NH3. New parameters through morphing have been developed
for protonated diglyme, as well as for double proton transfer in 2PY2HP and for as-
partic acid and water as model system for PT reactions in the active site of bacterial
ferredoxin I. We applied the MMPT force field to investigate the vibrational infrared
spectra of proton-bound species and explored the relationship of infrared spectra for
protonated water dimer and protonated diglyme. The results for protonated water
dimer compared well with other high-level calculations. Besides the further system-
atic development of the morphing approach one can also employ the force field in
combination with Feynman path integral methods. The MMPT force field could be a
viable alternative to lower level quantum mechanical methods because the accuracy
of the force field is only limited by the initial determination of the underlying PES for
the PT of interest
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