Quantum chemical calculations based on ONIOM and the DFT methods in the inclusion complex: doxycycline/2-O-Me-β-cyclodextrin

A computational study of inclusion complexes of 2-methyl-beta CD with Doxycycline tautomeric (enol and keto form) has been performed with several combinations of ONIOM hybrid calculations. The reliability of the ONIOM2 calculations at the integrated level, ONIOM2 (M05-2X/6-31G(d): M05-2X/3-21G*), ONIOM2 (M05-2X/6-31G(d):HF/3-21G*), ONIOM2 (B3LYP/6-31G(d):HF/3-21G*), ONIOM2 (B3LYP/6-31G(d):B3LYP/3-21G*) and ONIOM2 (B3PW91/6-31G(d):B3PW91/3-21G*) was examined. Their complexation, binding, deformation and stabilization energies, and geometrical data were compared with those of the target geometry structure optimized at the M05-2X/6-31G(d) level of theory. Mixed combinations ONIOM2 (M05-2X 6-31G(d):HF 3-21G*) and ONIOM2 (B3LYP 6-31G(d):HF 3-21G*) reproduces nearly the target geometry structure and provides realistic energetic results at a relatively low computational cost.