Volume 45, Issue 32 pp. 3004-3016
RESEARCH ARTICLE

An influence of electronic structure theory method, thermodynamic and implicit solvation corrections on the organic carbonates conformational and binding energies

Alexander S. Ryzhako

Alexander S. Ryzhako

N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

The Faculty of Natural Sciences, Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation

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Anna A. Tuma

Anna A. Tuma

N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation

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Arseniy A. Otlyotov

Arseniy A. Otlyotov

N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

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Yury Minenkov

Corresponding Author

Yury Minenkov

N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

Correspondence

Yury Minenkov, N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics RAS, Kosygina Street 4, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 17 September 2024
Citations: 1

Abstract

An impact of an electronic structure or force field method, gas-phase thermodynamic correction, and continuum solvation model on organic carbonate clusters (S)n conformational and binding energies is explored. None of the tested force field (GFN-FF, GAFF, MMFF94) and standard semiempirical methods (PM3, AM1, RM1, PM6, PM6-D3, PM6-D3H4, PM7) can reproduce reference RI-SCS-MP2 conformational energies. Tight-binding GFNn-xTB methods provide more realistic conformational energies which are accurate enough to discard the least stable conformers. The effect of thermodynamic correction is moderate and can be ignored if the gas phase conformational stability ranking is a goal. The influence of continuum solvation is stronger, especially if reinforced with the Gibbs free energy thermodynamic correction, and results in the reduced spread of conformational energies. The cluster formation binding energies strongly depend on a particular approach to vibrational thermochemistry with the difference between traditional harmonic and modified scaled rigid – harmonic oscillator approximations reaching 10 kcal mol−1.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the supporting information of this article. The thermochemistry code enabling both standard harmonic oscillator and msRRHO calculations is available for download free of charge at https://github.com/QuantumChemistryGroup/thermochemistry.

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