Atomic Surface Tensions Research Articles

Prediction of SAMPL2 aqueous solvation free energies and tautomeric ratios using the SM8, SM8AD, and SMD solvation models

We applied the solvation models SM8, SM8AD, and SMD in combination with the Minnesota M06-2X density functional to predict vacuum-water transfer free energies (Task 1) and tautomeric ratios in aqueous solution (Task 2) for the SAMPL2 test set. The bulk-electrostatic contribution to the free energy of solvation is treated as follows: SM8 employs the generalized Born model with the Coulomb field approximation, SM8AD employs the generalized Born approximation with asymmetric descreening, and SMD solves the nonhomogeneous Poisson equation. The non-bulk-electrostatic contribution arising from short-range interactions between the solute and solvent molecules in the first solvation shell is treated as a sum of terms that are products of geometry-dependent atomic surface tensions and solvent-accessible surface areas of the individual atoms of the solute. On average, three models tested in the present work perform similarly. In particular, we achieved mean unsigned errors of 1.3 (SM8), 2.0 (SM8AD), and 2.6 kcal/mol (SMD) for the aqueous free energies of 30 out of 31 compounds with known reference data involved in Task 1 and mean unsigned errors of 2.7 (SM8), 1.8 (SM8AD), and 2.4 kcal/mol (SMD) in the free energy differences (tautomeric ratios) for 21 tautomeric pairs in aqueous solution involved in Task 2.

Free Energies of Solvation with Surface, Volume, and Local Electrostatic Effects and Atomic Surface Tensions to Represent the First Solvation Shell.

Building on the SVPE (surface and volume polarization for electrostatics) model for electrostatic contributions to the free energy of solvation with explicit consideration of both surface and volume polarization effects, on the SMx approach to including first-solvation-shell contributions, and on the linear relationship between the electric field and short-range electrostatic contributions found by Chipman, we have developed a new method for computing absolute aqueous solvation free energies by combining the SVPE method with semiempirical terms that account for effects beyond bulk electrostatics. The new method is called SMVLE, and the elements it contains are denoted by SVPE-CDSL where SVPE denotes accounting for bulk electrostatic interactions between solute and solvent with both surface and volume contributions, CDS denotes the inclusion of solvent cavitation, changes in dispersion energy, and possible changes in local solvent structure by a semiempirical term utilizing geometry-dependent atomic surface tensions as implemented in SMx models, and L represents the local electrostatic effect derived from the outward-directed normal electric field on the cavity surface. The semiempirical CDS and L terms together represent the deviation of short-range contributions to the free energy of solvation from those accounted for by the SVPE term based on the bulk solvent dielectric constant. A solute training set containing a broad range of molecules used previously in the development of SM6 is used here for SMVLE model calibration. The aqueous solvation free energies predicted by the parameterized SMVLE model correlate exceedingly well with experimental values. The square of the correlation coefficient is 0.9949 and the slope is 1.0079. Comparison of the final SMVLE model against the earlier SMx solvation model shows that the parameterized SMVLE model not only yields good accuracy for neutrals but also significantly increases the accuracy for ions, making it the best implicit solvation model to date for aqueous solvation free energies of ions. The semiempirical terms associated with the outward-directed electric field account in a physical way for the improvement in the predictive accuracy for ions. The SMVLE method greatly decreases the need to include explicit water molecules for accurate modeling of solvation free energies of ions.

Universal Solvation Model Based on the Generalized Born Approximation with Asymmetric Descreening.

We present a new self-consistent reaction field continuum solvation model based on the generalized Born (GB) approximation for the bulk electrostatic contribution to the free energy of solvation. The new model improves on the earlier SM8 model by using the asymmetric descreening algorithm of Grycuk to treat dielectric descreening effects rather than the Coulomb field approximation; it will be called Solvation Model 8 with asymmetric descreening (SM8AD). The SM8AD model is applicable to any charged or uncharged solute in any solvent or liquid medium for which a few key descriptors are known, in particular dielectric constant, refractive index, bulk surface tension, and acidity and basicity parameters. It does not require the user to assign molecular mechanics types to an atom or a group; all parameters are unique and continuous functions of geometry. This model employs a single set of parameters (solvent acidity-dependent intrinsic Coulomb radii for the treatment of bulk electrostatics and solvent description-dependent atomic surface tensions coefficients for the treatment of nonelectrostatic and short-range electrostatic effects). The SM8AD model was optimized over 26 combinations of theoretical levels including various basis sets (MIDI!, 6-31G*, 6-31+G*, 6-31+G**, 6-31G**, cc-pVDZ, DZVP, 6-31B*) and electronic structure methods (M05-2X, M05, M06-2X, M06, M06-HF, M06-L, mPW1PW, mPWPW, B3LYP, HF). It may be used with confidence with any level of electronic structure theory as long as self-consistently polarized Charge Model 4 or other self-consistently polarized charges compatible with CM4 charges are used, for example, CM4M charges can be used. With M05-2X/6-31G*, the SM8AD model achieves a mean unsigned error of 0.6 kcal/mol on average over 2 560 solvation free energies of tested aqueous and nonaqueous neutral solutes and a mean unsigned error of 3.9 kcal/mol on average over 332 solvation free energies of aqueous and nonaqueous ions.

Universal Solvation Model Based on Solute Electron Density and on a Continuum Model of the Solvent Defined by the Bulk Dielectric Constant and Atomic Surface Tensions

We present a new continuum solvation model based on the quantum mechanical charge density of a solute molecule interacting with a continuum description of the solvent. The model is called SMD, where the "D" stands for "density" to denote that the full solute electron density is used without defining partial atomic charges. "Continuum" denotes that the solvent is not represented explicitly but rather as a dielectric medium with surface tension at the solute-solvent boundary. SMD is a universal solvation model, where "universal" denotes its applicability to any charged or uncharged solute in any solvent or liquid medium for which a few key descriptors are known (in particular, dielectric constant, refractive index, bulk surface tension, and acidity and basicity parameters). The model separates the observable solvation free energy into two main components. The first component is the bulk electrostatic contribution arising from a self-consistent reaction field treatment that involves the solution of the nonhomogeneous Poisson equation for electrostatics in terms of the integral-equation-formalism polarizable continuum model (IEF-PCM). The cavities for the bulk electrostatic calculation are defined by superpositions of nuclear-centered spheres. The second component is called the cavity-dispersion-solvent-structure term and is the contribution arising from short-range interactions between the solute and solvent molecules in the first solvation shell. This contribution is a sum of terms that are proportional (with geometry-dependent proportionality constants called atomic surface tensions) to the solvent-accessible surface areas of the individual atoms of the solute. The SMD model has been parametrized with a training set of 2821 solvation data including 112 aqueous ionic solvation free energies, 220 solvation free energies for 166 ions in acetonitrile, methanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide, 2346 solvation free energies for 318 neutral solutes in 91 solvents (90 nonaqueous organic solvents and water), and 143 transfer free energies for 93 neutral solutes between water and 15 organic solvents. The elements present in the solutes are H, C, N, O, F, Si, P, S, Cl, and Br. The SMD model employs a single set of parameters (intrinsic atomic Coulomb radii and atomic surface tension coefficients) optimized over six electronic structure methods: M05-2X/MIDI!6D, M05-2X/6-31G, M05-2X/6-31+G, M05-2X/cc-pVTZ, B3LYP/6-31G, and HF/6-31G. Although the SMD model has been parametrized using the IEF-PCM protocol for bulk electrostatics, it may also be employed with other algorithms for solving the nonhomogeneous Poisson equation for continuum solvation calculations in which the solute is represented by its electron density in real space. This includes, for example, the conductor-like screening algorithm. With the 6-31G basis set, the SMD model achieves mean unsigned errors of 0.6-1.0 kcal/mol in the solvation free energies of tested neutrals and mean unsigned errors of 4 kcal/mol on average for ions with either Gaussian03 or GAMESS.

Mechanistic Analysis of the Base-Catalyzed HF Elimination from 4-Fluoro-4-(4'-nitrophenyl)butane-2-one Based on Liquid-Phase Kinetic Isotope Effects Calculated by Dynamics Modeling with Multidimensional Tunneling.

The primary and secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects as well as leaving-group fluorine kinetic isotope effects have been calculated for the base-promoted elimination of hydrogen fluoride from 4-fluoro-4-(4'-nitrophenyl)butane-2-one in 75% aqueous methanol solution. The elimination was studied for both formate and imidazole as the catalytic base; and reactant and transition state structures and vibrational frequencies have been calculated by including the base explicitly and by including the solvent by an implicit solvation model that includes both electrostatics by class IV charges and first-solvation-shell effects by atomic surface tensions. We used the M06-L density functional for all calculations. The optimized stationary points, the geometry changes along the solution-phase minimum free energy path, and the solution-phase free energy profile indicate that the elimination reaction occurs concertedly but asynchronously via an E1cb-like transition state. Reaction rates were calculated by the equilibrium solvation path method, using variational transition state theory with multidimensional tunneling. The primary deuterium kinetic isotope effects are calculated to be large: 1.67 and 5.13 for formate and imidazole, respectively. The corresponding C4-secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects are 1.044 and 1.044, and the leaving group fluorine kinetic isotope effects are respectively 1.020 and 1.015.

VBSM: A Solvation Model Based on Valence Bond Theory

A new solvation model, called VBSM, is presented. The model combines valence bond (VB) theory with parameters determined for the SM6 solvation model (Kelly, C. P.; Cramer, C. J.; Truhlar, D. G. J. Chem. Theo. Comp. 2005, 1, 1133-1152). VBSM, like SM6, is based on the generalized Born (GB) approximation for bulk electrostatics and atomic surface tensions to account for cavitation, dispersion, and solvent structure (CDS). The solvation free energy of VBSM includes (i) a self-consistent polarization term obtained by using VB atomic charges in a GB reaction field with a VB self-consistent field procedure that minimizes the total energy of the system with respect to the valence bond orbitals and (ii) a geometry-dependent CDS term to account for deviations from bulk-electrostatic solvation. Test calculations for a few systems show that the liquid-phase partial atomic charges obtained by VBSM are in good agreement with liquid-phase charges obtained by charge model CM4 (Kelly, C. P.; Cramer, C. J.; Truhlar, D. G. J. Chem. Theo. Comp. 2005, 1, 1133-1152). Free energies of solvation are calculated for two prototype test cases, namely, for the degenerate S(N)2 reaction of Cl(-) with CH(3)Cl in water and for a Menshutkin reaction in water. These calculations show that the VBSM method provides a practical alternative to single-configuration self-consistent field theory for solvent effects in molecules and chemical reactions.

A Universal Approach to Solvation Modeling

Continuum mean-field models that have been carefully designed to address the various electrostatic and nonelectrostatic interactions that develop between a molecule and a surrounding medium are particularly efficient tools for studying the effects of condensed phases on molecular structure, energetics, properties, spectra, interaction potentials, and dynamics. The SM8 model may be combined with density functional theory or Hartree-Fock theory to describe a solute's electronic structure and its self-consistent-field polarization by a solvent. A key feature is the use of class IV charge models to obtain accurate charge distributions (either in the vapor phase or in solution), even when using small basis sets that are affordable for large systems. A second key feature is that nonelectrostatic effects due to cavity formation, dispersion interactions, and changes in solvent structure are included in terms of empirical atomic surface tensions that depend on geometry but do not require atom-type assignments by the user. Use of an analytic surface area algorithm provides very stable energy gradients that allow geometry optimization in solution. The SM8 continuum model, the culmination of a series of SMx models (x = 1-8), permits the modeling of such diverse media as aqueous and organic solvents, soils, lipid bilayers, and air-water interfaces. In addition to predicting accurate transfer free energies between gaseous and condensed phases or between two different condensed phases, SMx models have been useful for predicting the significant influence of condensed phases on processes associated with a change in molecular charge, including acid/base equilibria and oxidation/reduction processes. In this Account, we provide an overview of the algorithms associated with the computation of free energies of solvation in the SM8 model. We also compare the accuracies of the SM8 model with those of other continuum solvation models. Finally, we highlight applications of the SM8 models to compute ionic solvation free energies, oxidation and reduction potentials, and pK(a) values.

Computational Electrochemistry: The Aqueous Ru3+|Ru2+ Reduction Potential

We present results of density functional calculations for the standard reduction potential of the Ru3+|Ru2+ couple in aqueous solution. The metal cations are modeled as [Ru(H2O)n]q+ surrounded by continuum solvent (q = 2, 3; n = 6, 18). The continuum model includes bulk electrostatic polarization as well as atomic surface tensions accounting for the deviation of the second or third hydration shell from the bulk. After consideration of 37 density functionals with 5 different basis sets, it has been found that hybrid and hybrid meta functionals provide the most accurate predictions for the [Ru(H2O)n]q+ geometries and for the corresponding reduction potential in comparison with available experimental data. The gas-phase ionization potentials of [Ru(H2O)n]2+ calculated by density functional theory are also compared to results of ab initio computations using second-order Møller−Plesset perturbation theory. The difference in solvation free energies of Ru3+ and Ru2+ varies from −10.56 to −10.99 eV for n = 6 and from −6.83 to −7.45 eV for n = 18 depending on the density functional and basis set quality. The aqueous standard reduction potential is overestimated when only the first solvation shell is treated explicitly and is underestimated when the first and second solvation shells are treated explicitly.

Adding explicit solvent molecules to continuum solvent calculations for the calculation of aqueous acid dissociation constants.

Aqueous acid dissociation free energies for a diverse set of 57 monoprotic acids have been calculated using a combination of experimental and calculated gas and liquid-phase free energies. For ionic species, aqueous solvation free energies were calculated using the recently developed SM6 continuum solvation model. This model combines a dielectric continuum with atomic surface tensions to account for bulk solvent effects. For some of the acids studied, a combined approach that involves attaching a single explicit water molecule to the conjugate base (anion), and then surrounding the resulting anion-water cluster by a dielectric continuum, significantly improves the agreement between the calculated pK(a) value and experiment. This suggests that for some anions, particularly those concentrating charge on a single exposed heteroatom, augmenting implicit solvent calculations with a single explicit water molecule is required, and adequate, to account for strong short-range hydrogen bonding interactions between the anion and the solvent. We also demonstrate the effect of adding several explicit waters by calculating the pK(a) of bicarbonate (HCO(3)(-)) using as the conjugate base carbonate (CO(3)(2-)) bound by up to three explicit water molecules.

Extension of the MST model to the IEF formalism: HF and B3LYP parametrizations

An extension of the Miertus–Scrocco–Tomasi (MST) continuum method to the Integral Equation Formalism (IEF) is presented. In particular, we report here the parametrization of the MST(IEF) model to the solvation in water, octanol, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. A detailed comparison is made between the results obtained from the MST(PCM) formalism corrected by using diverse charge normalization schemes and those obtained from the IEF formalism. The IEF method is found to provide results in close agreement with those obtained within the PCM framework by taking into account the anisotropy of the solute's charge distribution in the charge normalization of the apparent surface charge that simulates the solvent reaction field. Besides the standard HF/6-31G(d) level of theory considered in previous parametrizations of the MST(PCM) model, we also report here the results obtained for the B3LYP hybrid density functional method. These results indicate that there are small differences in the electrostatic component of the solvation free energy determined from HF and B3LYP levels of theory, which might be captured by suitable adjustment of the atomic surface tensions in the van der Waals component. Overall, the results support the strategy used in the development of the MST model and its suitability as a robust approach to the study of molecules in solution.

Predicting Adsorption Coefficients at Air−Water Interfaces Using Universal Solvation and Surface Area Models

Vapor-phase molecules are adsorbed at air−water interfaces to a much greater extent than can be explained by air−water partition coefficients, indicating that interface adsorption can play an important role, and this can be very important for environmental phenomena. On the basis of a statistical thermodynamic analysis, we separate the observable free energy of adsorption into a dimensionality change and a coupling part so that the modeling effort is correctly focused on the coupling part. On the basis of this analysis, we present two kinds of models for predicting partitioning between the vapor phase and the macroscopic surface of liquid water. The first model, called SM5.0R-Surf, involves atomic surface tensions developed previously for bulk solvation in organic liquids and a set of four solvent descriptors that characterize the properties of the water layer at the air−water interface. The latter descriptors are treated as parameters that are determined empirically by optimization for a set of 85 solutes for which the air−water surface adsorption coefficients (Ki/a) are known experimentally. The resulting descriptors indicate that interfacial water has increased hydrogen-bond acidity and increased hydrogen-bond basicity as compared to bulk water. A second kind of model involves an empirical correlation of the interfacial-water partition coefficient Ki/w with the calculated van der Waals surface area, and this kind of model can be based either on experimental data, yielding the semiempirical surface area (SESA) model, or on theoretical data, yielding the semitheoretical surface area (STSA) model. The SM5.0R-Surf and STSA models should be especially useful for environmental modeling because neither model requires any experimental data about the solute, other than its molecular structure. As an example, we use the above models to calculate air−water adsorption coefficients for 24 different pesticides, chlorinated arenes, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We also show that several models in the literature can be used successfully even if we substitute calculated instead of experimental data for the solute parameters that they originally required. In related work reported here, the SM5.0R parametrization for predicting free energies of solvation in organic solvents is extended to include solutes containing phosphorus. This extension is based on the experimental free energies of 13 solutes in 9 organic solvents (37 data points). The SM5.0R model extended in this way and the new SM5.0R-Surf model can therefore be used to predict the free energy of solvation at air−water interfaces and in bulk organic liquids for any solute composed of H, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, Br, I, and/or P, whereas the STSA model does not contain parameters that depend on atomic number and can, in principle, be used for any molecule.

Solvent-dependent transition states for decarboxylations.

The rate constants and kinetic isotope effects for decarboxylation of 4-pyridylacetic acid depend strongly on whether the solvent is water or dioxane, and the present paper interprets this finding. We calculate the solvent dependence of the free energy barrier and of the (13)C and (18)O kinetic isotope effects using a quantum mechanical solvation model based on class IV charges and semiempirical atomic surface tensions. The calculations provide a consistent interpretation of the experimental results, which provides a striking confirmation of the soundness of the solvation modeling. Even more significantly, the agreement of theory and experiment gives us confidence in the physical picture of the reaction provided by the model. This indicates that the location of the transition state, as measured by the length of the breaking C--C bond, is 0.24 A later than the gas phase in dioxane and 0.37 A later than the gas phase in water. Charge development at the transition state also depends strongly on the solvent; in particular the CO(2) moiety is 0.07 electronic charge units more negative at the transition state in dioxane than in water.

Universal solvation model based on conductor-like screening model

Atomic surface tensions are parameterized for use with solvation models in which the electrostatic part of the calculation is based on the conductor-like screening model (COSMO) and the semiempirical molecular orbital methods AM1, PM3, and MNDO/d. The convergence of the calculated polarization free energies with respect to the numerical parameters of the electrostatic calculations is first examined. The accuracy and precision of the calculated values are improved significantly by adjusting two parameters that control the segmentation of the solvent-accessible surface that is used for the calculations. The accuracy of COSMO calculations is further improved by adopting an optimized set of empirical electrostatic atomic radii. Finally, the electrostatic calculation is combined with SM5-type atomic surface tension functionals that are used to compute the nonelectrostatic portions of the solvation free energy. All parameterizations are carried out using rigid (R) gas-phase geometries; this combination (SM5-type surface tensions, COSMO electrostatics, and rigid geometries) is called SM5CR. Six air–water and 76 water–solvent partition coefficients are added to the training set of air–solvent data points previously used to parameterize the SM5 suite of solvation models, thereby bringing the total number of data points in the training set to 2266. The model yields free energies of solvation and transfer with mean unsigned errors of 0.63, 0.59, and 0.61 kcal/mol for AM1, PM3, and MNDO/d, respectively, over all 2217 data points for neutral solutes in the training set and mean unsigned errors of 3.0, 2.7, and 3.1 kcal/mol, respectively, for 49 data points for the ions. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 340–366, 2000

A Universal Solvation Model Based on Class IV Charges and the Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap for the Spectroscopy Molecular Orbital Method

The SM5.42R solvation model, which is based on SM5-type atomic surface tensions, class IV point charges based on charge model 2, and rigid geometries, is parametrized for the intermediate neglect of differential overlap for spectroscopy (INDO/S) method, both in the original (INDO/S) and more recent (INDO/S2) versions. The parametrization is based on 2184 free energies of solvation of 275 neutral solutes and 49 ions in water and 90 organic solvents.

Application of a universal solvation model to nucleic acid bases: Comparison of semiempirical molecular orbital theory, ab initio Hartree–Fock theory, and density functional theory

The free energies of solvation of six nucleic acid bases (adenine, cytosine, hypoxanthine, guanine, thymine, and uracil) in water and chloroform are calculated using CM2 class IV charges and SM5.42R atomic surface tensions. Using any of three approximations to the electronic wave function (AM1, Hartree–Fock, or DFT), we obtain good agreement with experiment for five cases where the experimental results are known for the partition coefficients between the two solvents. Decomposition of the solvation effects into bulk electrostatic contributions and first-solvation-shell effects shows that the partitioning is dominated by the former, and this illustrates the importance of using accurate partial atomic charges for modeling these molecules in aqueous solution.

Density functional solvation model based on CM2 atomic charges

We extend the SM5 solvation model for calculating solvation free energies of a variety of organic solutes in both aqueous and organic solvents so that it can be employed in conjunction with high-level electronic structure calculations. The extension is illustrated by presenting three implementations based on density-functional theory (DFT). The three implementations are called SM5.42R/BPW91/MIDI!6D, SM5.42R/BPW91/DZVP, and SM5.42R/BPW91/6-31G*. They have the following features: (1) They utilize gradient-corrected DFT with polarized double zeta basis sets to describe the electronic structure of a solute. The particular exchange-correlation functional adopted is Becke’s exchange with the Perdew–Wang 1991 correlation functional, usually called BPW91. The MIDI!6D, DZVP, and 6-31G* basis sets are used. (2) They employ fixed solute geometries in solvation calculations. The model is designed to predict solvation free energies based on any reasonably accurate gas-phase solute geometry. (3) The electric polarization in the solute-solvent system is described by the generalized Born approximation with self-consistent reaction-field solute partial atomic charges obtained from the CM2 class IV charge model. (4) The solvation effects within the first solvation shell are included in the form of SM5-type atomic surface tensions. Both DFT parameterizations are developed using 275 neutral solutes and 49 ions with gas-phase Hartree–Fock/MIDI! geometries. These solutes contain a wide variety of organic functional groups which include H, C, N, O, F, P, S, Cl, Br, and I atoms. For 2135 free energies of solvation of the neutral molecules in water and 90 organic solvents, SM5.42R/BPW91/MIDI!6D, SM5.42R/BPW91/DZVP, and SM5.42R/BPW91/6-31G* yield mean unsigned errors in solvation free energies of 0.45 kcal/mol, 0.44 kcal/mol, and 0.43 kcal/mol, respectively. For 49 ions in water, SM5.42R/BPW91/MIDI!6D produces a mean unsigned error of 3.9 kcal/mol, while SM5.42R/BPW91/DZVP and SM5.42R/BPW91/6-31G* give 3.6 kcal/mol and 3.9 kcal/mol, respectively.

Omnisol: Fast Prediction of Free Energies of Solvation and Partition Coefficients

The SM5.0R model for predicting solvation energies using only geometry-dependent atomic surface tensions was developed previously for aqueous solution. Here we extend it to organic solvents. The method is based on gas-phase geometries and exposed atomic surface areas; electrostatics are treated only implicitly so a wave function or charge model is not required (which speeds up the calculations by about 2 orders of magnitude). The SM5.0R model has been parametrized for solvation free energies of solutes containing H, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, Br, and I. The training set for organic solvents consists of 227 neutral solutes in 90 organic solvents for a total of 1836 data points. The method achieves a mean unsigned error of about 0.4 kcal/mol when applied using gas-phase geometries calculated at either the Hartree−Fock level with a heteroatom-polarized valence-double-ζ basis set (HF/MIDI!) or when applied using semiempirical molecular orbital gas-phase geometries. In related work reported here, the parametrization for predicting aqueous solvation free energies is also extended to include organic solutes containing iodine. This extension is based on eight solutes and yields a mean unsigned error of 0.25 kcal/mol. The resulting SM5.0R model for solvation energies in aqueous and organic solvents can therefore be used to predict partition coefficients (including log P for octanol/water) for any solute containing H, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, Br, and/or I.

Universal reaction field model based on ab initio Hartree–Fock theory

We present a model for free energies of solvation based on Hartree–Fock self-consistent-reaction-field (SCRF) calculations for electrostatics combined with atomic surface tensions (AST) for deviations from bulk electrostatics in the first solvation shell, including cavity, dispersion, and solvent-structure contributions. The SCRF part combines an ab initio treatment of the solute with solute–solvent interactions modeled using class IV charges. The AST part is parameterized for both water and general organic solvents. Mean unsigned errors are 3.9 kcal/mol for 49 ions in water and 0.46 kcal/mol for 275 neutrals in 91 solvents.

Universal Quantum Mechanical Model for Solvation Free Energies Based on Gas-Phase Geometries

We present a new solvation model for predicting free energies of transfer of organic solutes from the gas phase to aqueous and organic solvents. The model is based on class II charges, gas-phase geometries, a generalized Born approximation to the polarization free energy, and SM5-type atomic surface tensions. The initial parametrization of the new model was developed to utilize the MNDO/d Hamiltonian, and we also present parameters for the MNDO, AM1, and PM3 Hamiltonians. These parametrizations are based on reasonably accurate gas-phase geometries for 43 ions and 260 neutral solute molecules composed of H, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, Br, and I and containing a wide variety of functional groups. For aqueous solutions, the parametrization is based on data for 248 of the neutrals and all of the ions. For organic solvents, it is based on 1836 experimental data points for 227 of the neutral solutes in 90 organic solvents. The parametrization based on the MNDO/d Hamiltonian is called SM5.2R/MNDO/d, and it yields a mean ...

Parametrized Model for Aqueous Free Energies of Solvation Using Geometry-Dependent Atomic Surface Tensions with Implicit Electrostatics

We present a new model for predicting aqueous free energies of solvation based entirely on geometry-dependent atomic surface tensions. The model is especially suited for rapid estimations on large molecules or large sets of molecules. This method is designed to be employed with gas-phase geometries to obtain solvation free energies of organic molecules containing H, C, N, O, F, S, Cl, and Br. We parametrized the model by using a training set containing 235 neutral solutes with a variety of functional groups, and we achieve a mean unsigned error of 0.55 kcal/mol when the model is applied using gas-phase geometries calculated at the Hartree−Fock level with a heteroatom-polarized valence-double-zeta basis set (HF/MIDI!) and a mean unsigned error of 0.57 kcal/mol when it is applied using gas-phase geometries from Austin Model 1 (AM1). For a smaller set of 99 solutes, we compared the new model to two previously published models based on atomic solvation parameters, and we achieve a mean unsigned error of 0.56 kcal/mol as compared to 1.87 and 2.13 kcal/mol for the previous models. A simple extension is provided to allow treatment of certain kinds of charged groups. The model is expected to be especially useful for problems requiring high efficiency because of the size of the system, e.g., protein folding, or problems requiring rapid estimations because of the large number of calculations required, e.g., scoring of combinatorial libraries.