A General Quantum Mechanically Derived Force Field (QMDFF) for Molecules and Condensed Phase Simulations

A black-box type procedure is presented for the generation of molecule-specific, classical potential energy functions (force-field, FF) solely from quantum mechanically (QM) computed input data. The approach can treat covalently bound molecules and noncovalent complexes with almost arbitrary structure. The necessary QM information consists of the equilibrium structure and the corresponding Hessian matrix, atomic partial charges, and covalent bond orders. The FF fit is performed automatically without any further input and yields a specific (nontransferable) potential which very closely resembles the QM reference potential near the equilibrium. The resulting atomistic, fully flexible FF is anharmonic and allows smooth dissociation of covalent bonds into atoms. A newly proposed force-constant bond-energy relation with little empiricism provides reasonably accurate (about 5-10% error) atomization energies for almost arbitrary diatomic and polyatomic molecules. Infra-and intermolecular noncovalent interactions are treated by using well established and accurate D3 dispersion coefficients, CMS charges from small basis set QM calculations, and a new interatomic repulsion potential. Particular attention has been paid to the construction of the torsion potentials which are partially obtained from automatic QM-tight-binding calculations for model systems. Detailed benchmarks are presented for conformational energies, atomization energies, vibrational frequencies, gas phase structures of organic molecules, and transition metal complexes. Comparisons to results from standard FF or semiempirical methods reveal very good accuracy of the new potential. While further studies are necessary to validate the approach, the initial results suggest QMDFF as a routine tool for the computation of a wide range of properties and systems (e.g., for molecular dynamics of isolated molecules, explicit solvation, self-olvation (melting) or even for molecular crystals) in particular when standard parametrizations are unavailable.