Molecular dynamics using a semiempirical quantum force field : development and applications to systems of biological interest

Tez Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Université Henri Poincaré: Nancy I, Sciences, Chemistry, Fransa

Tez Danışmanı: Prof. Gérald Monard And Dr. Francesca Ingrosso

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2015

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Desteklendiği Program: Diğer

Özet:

The present work is devoted to the development of approximate quantum chemistry methods that are suitable to treat biological systems of large size. In particular, we run molecular dynamics under the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, allowing a quantum mechanical description of the electronic Hamiltonian of the full system: SEBOMD (SemiEmpirical Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics). Our method is based on a semiempirical (SE) electronic Hamiltonian. One of the key issues arising in a condensed phase SEBOMD simulation is represented by the choice of the SE method. Since most of the currently available approaches fail in describing some relevant intermolecular interactions, we developed a new correction of SE Hamiltonians. This method, which we named PM3-PIF3, was applied to study the molecular dynamics of organic molecules in water. The results that we obtained showed that our technique is suitable to treat molecules having hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic groups in an aqueous medium. The analysis of the electronic and vibrational properties of these molecules in the presence of the solvent validates our results with respect to experimental and theoretical studies in the literature. Finally, we investigated the water self-Dissociation process in confined environments. After discussing the choice of the SE Hamiltonian to be used for this purpose, we characterized the proton transfer in a water cluster. We established a correlation between the free energy of the first step of this process and some collective physical properties