Functional group corrections to the GFN2-xTB and PM6 semiempirical methods for noncovalent interactions in alkanes and alkenes.

Analytical corrections were developed to improve the accuracy of the PM6 and GFN2-xTB semiempirical quantum mechanical methods for the evaluation of noncovalent interaction energies in alkanes and alkenes. We followed the approach of functional group corrections, wherein the atom-atom pair corrections depend on the nature of the interacting functional groups. The training set includes 21 alkane and 13 alkene complexes taken from the Donchev et al.

Electrostatic penetration effects stand at the heart of aromatic π interactions.

The nature of the interaction in benzene-containing dimers has been analysed by means of Symmetry Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT). The total interaction energy and the preference for the dimers to adopt slipped structures are, apparently, consequence of the balance between repulsion and dispersion. However, our results indicate that this only holds when trends are analysed using fixed intermolecular distances.

The PM6-FGC Method: Improved Corrections for Amines and Amides.

Recently, we reported a new approach to develop pairwise analytical corrections to improve the description of noncovalent interactions, by approximate methods of electronic structures, such as semiempirical quantum mechanical (SQM) methods. In particular, and as a proof of concept, we used the PM6 Hamiltonian and we named the method PM6-FGC, where the FGC acronym, corresponding to Functional Group Corrections, emphasizes the idea that the corrections work for specific functional groups rather than for individual atom pairs. The analytical corrections were derived from fits to B3LYP-D3/def2-TZVP (reference).

New Approach for Correcting Noncovalent Interactions in Semiempirical Quantum Mechanical Methods: The Importance of Multiple-Orientation Sampling.

A new approach is presented to improve the performance of semiempirical quantum mechanical (SQM) methods in the description of noncovalent interactions. To show the strategy, the PM6 Hamiltonian was selected, although, in general, the procedure can be applied to other semiempirical Hamiltonians and to different methodologies. A set of small molecules were selected as representative of various functional groups, and intermolecular potential energy curves (IPECs) were evaluated for the most relevant orientations of interacting molecular pairs.

Curvature and size effects hinder halogen bonds with extended π systems.

Curvature and size effects in halogen interactions with extended aromatic species have been evaluated, employing computational methods, in dimers formed by dihalogens Cl2, Br2 and I2 with both planar (coronene and circumcoronene) and curved (corannulene, sumanene and C60) aromatic systems. The main controlling factor in these interactions is dispersion, so they become stronger as the size of the halogen grows. The nature of the interaction with the halogen changes depending on the curvature and the extension of the aromatic system.

The relative position of π-π interacting rings notably changes the nature of the substituent effect.

The substituent effect in monosubstituted benzene dimers mostly follows changes on electrostatics mainly controlled by the direct interaction of the substituent and the other phenyl ring, whereas the contribution from the interacting rings is smaller. As the substituent is located further away the two contributions become of similar magnitude, so the global result is a combination of both effects. These trends are confirmed in larger systems containing a contact between phenyl rings; at closer distances the interaction of the substituent and the other ring clearly dominates over changes associated with the substituted ring, but as the substituent is located further away its contribution decreases and the contribution from the ring becomes more relevant.

On the Nature of σ-σ, σ-π, and π-π Stacking in Extended Systems.

Stacking interactions have been evaluated, employing computational methods, in dimers formed by analogous aliphatic and aromatic species of increasing size. Changes in stability as the systems become larger are mostly controlled by the balance of increasing repulsion and dispersion contributions, while electrostatics plays a secondary but relevant role. The interaction energy increases as the size of the system grows, but it does much faster in π-π dimers than in σ-π complexes and more remarkably than in σ-σ dimers.

Rational Design of Efficient Environmental Sensors: Ring-Shaped Nanostructures Can Capture Quat Herbicides.

The viability of using []-cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) of different sizes to encapsulate diquat (DQ) pesticide molecules has been tested analyzing the origin of the host-guest interactions stabilizing the complex. This analysis provides rational design capabilities to construct ad hoc capturing systems tailored to the desired pollutant. All CPPs considered ( = 7-12) are capable of forming remarkably stable complexes with DQ, though [9]-CPP is the best candidate, where a fine balance is established between the energy penalty due to the deformation + repulsion of the pesticide molecule inside the cavity (larger in smaller CPPs) and the maximization of the favorable dispersion, electrostatic and induction contributions (which also decrease in larger rings).

Endohedral alkali cations promote charge transfer transitions in complexes of C with [10]cycloparaphenylenes.

[10]cycloparaphenylene ([10]CPP) effectively encapsulates ionic endofullerenes MC (M = Li, Na, K) as revealed by dispersion-corrected density functional theory methods. The interaction between [10]CPP and these fullerenes is dominated by dispersion, though it is stronger than with pristine C due to a reinforcement of electrostatic and induction contributions to the stability. The C carbon cage effectively shields the cations and distributes the charge among all carbon atoms, so the nature of the endohedral cation has no noticeable effect upon the final stability of the complexes.

Assessment of electronic transitions involving intermolecular charge transfer in complexes formed by fullerenes and donor-acceptor nanohoops.

Complexes formed by fullerenes C60/C70 and substituted cycloparaphenylenes with the capability of acting as donor/acceptor pairs ([10]CPAq and [10]CPTcaq nanohoops) have been studied using density functional theory methods empirically corrected for dispersion. All nanohoops form stable complexes with fullerenes, with complexation energies amounting to around -32 kcal mol-1 with C60 and reaching between -36 and -39 kcal mol-1 in the case of C70. According to DFT calculations, the rings are too large to appropriately accommodate the fullerene, which moves from the centre of the ring to a side region (in most cases located on the side opposite the anthracene unit).

Influence of Multiple Conformations and Paths on Rate Constants and Product Branching Ratios. Thermal Decomposition of 1-Propanol Radicals.

The potential energy surface involved in the thermal decomposition of 1-propanol radicals was investigated in detail using automated codes (tsscds2018 and Q2DTor). From the predicted elementary reactions, a relevant reaction network was constructed to study the decomposition at temperatures in the range 1000-2000 K. Specifically, this relevant network comprises 18 conformational reaction channels (CRCs), which in general exhibit a large wealth of conformers of reactants and transition states.

Dissecting the concave-convex π-π interaction in corannulene and sumanene dimers: SAPT(DFT) analysis and performance of DFT dispersion-corrected methods.

The characteristics of the concave-convex π-π interactions are evaluated in 32 buckybowl dimers formed by corannulene, sumanene, and two substituted sumanenes (with S and CO groups), using symmetry-adapted perturbation theory [SAPT(DFT)] and density functional theory (DFT). According to our results, the main stabilizing contribution is dispersion, followed by electrostatics. Regarding the ability of DFT methods to reproduce the results obtained with the most expensive and rigorous methods, TPSS-D seems to be the best option overall, although its results slightly tend to underestimate the interaction energies and to overestimate the equilibrium distances.

A theoretical study of complexes formed between cations and curved aromatic systems: electrostatics does not always control cation-π interaction.

The present work studies the interaction of two extended curved π-systems (corannulene and sumanene) with various cations (sodium, potassium, ammonium, tetramethylammonium, guanidinium and imidazolium). Polyatomic cations are models of groups found in important biomolecules in which cation-π interaction plays a fundamental role. The results indicate an important size effect: with extended π systems and cations of the size of potassium and larger, dispersion is much more important than has been generally recognized for cation-π interactions.

Carbon-nanorings ([10]CPP and [6]CPPA) as fullerene (C and C) receptors: a comprehensive dispersion-corrected DFT study.

A comprehensive computational analysis of all possible complexes between the carbon-nanorings, CNRs, [10]CPP and [6]CPPA with the fullerenes C and C, was carried out. The B97-D2 functional together with the def2-TZVP basis set was used through the work, although comparisons with other different functionals (BLYP-D2, B3LYP-D3(BJ), TPSS-D3(BJ), PBE0-D3(BJ) and M06-2X) were also performed. In order to find all the possible rearrangements of the fullerenes inside the CNRs, two methods of different complexities and computational costs were employed.

A through-space description of substituent effects leads to inaccurate molecular electrostatic potentials and cationπ interactions in extended aromatic systems.

Non-local effects are crucial in order to give an accurate description of substituent effects in extended aromatic systems. As a consequence, the predictions based on the currently accepted through-space picture can lead to large errors in the strength of cationπ interactions, especially for rings furthest from the substituent.

Comment on "Theoretical studies on a carbonaceous molecular bearing: association thermodynamics and dual-mode rolling dynamics" by H. Isobe, K. Nakamura, S. Hitosugi, S. Sato, H. Tokoyama, H. Yamakado, K. Ohno and H. Kono, , 2015, , 2746.

The LC-BLYP functional accompanied with proper calculations leads to unreliable results for systems governed by π···π interactions. It seems quite clear that a good representation of dispersion interactions is required, so DFT must be supplemented (through the DFT-D formalism or the many-body dispersion method) in order to afford good results.

On the interaction between the imidazolium cation and aromatic amino acids. A computational study.

Complexes formed by the imidazolium cation and the aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and histidine have been studied by using computational methods. Complexation energies estimated at the MP2.X level amount to -123.

Fullerene recognition with molecular tweezers made up of efficient buckybowls: a dispersion-corrected DFT study.

In 2007, Sygula and co-workers introduced a novel type of molecular tweezers with buckybowl pincers that have attracted the substantial interest of researchers due to their ideal architecture for recognizing fullerenes by concave-convex π∙∙∙π interactions (A. Sygula et al., J.

Tailoring buckybowls for fullerene recognition. A dispersion-corrected DFT study.

A series of buckybowls with different sizes and structures have been tested as potential receptors of fullerenes C60, C70 and C40. Among these bowls are corannulene (C20H10), sumanene (C21H12), pinakene (C28H14), hemifullerene (C30H12), circumtrindene (C36H12), pentaindenocorannulene (C50H20) and bowl-shaped hexabenzocoronene derivatives. An exhaustive study, taking into account different orientations of fullerenes, was performed in order to obtain the most favourable arrangement for interacting with the bowls.

A theoretical study of ternary indole-cation-anion complexes.

The simultaneous interactions of an anion and a cation with a π system were investigated by MP2 and M06-2X theoretical calculations. Indole was chosen as a model π system for its relevance in biological environments. Two different orientations of the anion, interacting with the N-H and with the C-H groups of indole, were considered.

Interaction between the guanidinium cation and aromatic amino acids.

The interaction of the guanidinium cation with phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan has been studied using a variety of computational methods. Benchmark values for the interaction have been estimated using the CCSD(T) method extrapolated to the complete basis set limit, indicating that the complexation energy amounts to -123.0, -124.

Substituted corannulenes and sumanenes as fullerene receptors. A dispersion-corrected density functional theory study.

Stacking interactions between substituted buckybowls (corannulene and sumanene) with fullerenes (C60 and C70) were studied at the B97-D2/TZVP level of theory. Corannulene and sumanene monomers were substituted with five and six Br, Cl, CH3, C2H, or CN units, respectively. A comprehensive study was conducted, analyzing the interaction of corannulenes and sumanenes with several faces of both fullerenes.

Interaction of anions with substituted buckybowls. The anion's nature and solvent effects.

Complexes formed by CN-substituted corannulene and sumanene with monovalent anions have been computationally studied to evaluate the effect of anion's nature and solvent upon the interaction. The results indicate that the most stable complex arrangement corresponds in all cases to the anion located by the center of the concave face of the bowl. All complexes are remarkably stable in the gas phase, with interaction energies ranging from -47 to -24 kcal/mol depending on the anion and the bowl considered.

Interaction between ions and substituted buckybowls: a comprehensive computational study.

Complexes formed by substituted buckybowls derived from corannulene and sumanene with sodium cation or chloride anion have been computationally studied by using a variety of methods. Best results have been obtained with the SCS-MP2 method extrapolated to basis set limit, which reproduces the highest-level values obtained with the MP2.X method.

Interaction of aromatic units of amino acids with guanidinium cation: The interplay of π···π, X-H···π, and M+ ···π contacts.

Complexes formed by guanidinium cation and a pair of aromatic molecules among benzene, phenol, or indole have been computationally studied to determine the characteristics of the cation···π interaction in ternary systems modeling amino acid side chains. Guanidinium coordinates to the aromatic units preferentially in the following order: indole, phenol, and benzene. Complexes containing two different aromatic units show an intermediate behavior between that observed for complexes with only one kind of aromatic unit.