Engineering Commons^™

Determination Of A Methane Intermolecular Potential Model For Use In Molecular Simulations From Ab Initio Calculations, Richard L. Rowley, Tapani A. Pakkanen

Faculty Publications

The possibility of obtaining an accurate site-site potential model suitable for use in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of methane from ab initio calculations has been explored. Counterpoise-corrected (CPC), supermolecule, ab initio energies at the MP2/6-311 + G(2df,2pd) level were computed for eleven relative orientations of two methane molecules as a function of C-C separation distance. C-C, C-H, and H-H interaction parameters in a pairwise-additive, site-site potential model for rigid methane molecules were regressed from the ab initio energies, and the resultant model accurately reproduced the ab initio energies. The model suggests that C-H attractions are dominant in weakly binding the …