Combined QM/MM and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Modeling of Homogeneous Catalysis

Grid-Based Projector Augmented Wave (GPAW) Implementation of Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) Electrostatic Embedding and Application to a Solvated Diplatinum Complex

A multiscale density functional theory-quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (DFT-QM/MM) scheme is presented, based on an efficient electrostatic coupling between the electronic density obtained from a grid-based projector augmented wave (GPAW) implementation of density functional theory and a classical potential energy function. The scheme is implemented in a general fashion and can be used with various choices for the descriptions of the QM or MM regions. Tests on H₂O clusters, ranging from dimer to decamer show that no systematic energy errors are introduced by the coupling that exceeds the differences in the QM and MM descriptions. Over 1 ns of liquid water, Born-Oppenheimer QM/MM molecular dynamics (MD) are sampled combining 10 parallel simulations, showing consistent liquid water structure over the QM/MM border. The method is applied in extensive parallel MD simulations of an aqueous solution of the diplatinum [Pt₂(P₂O₅H₂)₄]^4- complex (PtPOP), spanning a total time period of roughly half a nanosecond. An average Pt-Pt distance deviating only 0.01 Å from experimental results, and a ground-state Pt-Pt oscillation frequency deviating by <2% from experimental results were obtained. The simulations highlight a remarkable harmonicity of the Pt-Pt oscillation, while also showing clear signs of Pt-H hydrogen bonding and directional coordination of water molecules along the Pt-Pt axis of the complex.