MM2 Force Field Research Articles

Modification of MM force fields around heme-Fe in the CYP–ligand complex and ab initio FMO calculations for the complex

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play essential roles in the synthesis and metabolic activation of physiologically active substances. CYP has a prosthetic heme (iron protoporphyrin IX) in its active center, where Fe ion (heme-Fe) is deeply involved in enzymatic reactions of CYP. To precisely describe the structure and electronic states around heme-Fe, we modified the force fields (FFs) around heme-Fe in molecular mechanics (MM) simulations and conducted ab initio fragment molecular orbital (FMO) calculations for the CYP–ligand complex. To describe the coordination bond between heme-Fe and its coordinated ligand (ketoconazole), we added FF between heme-Fe and the N atom of ketoconazole, and then the structure of the complex was optimized using the modified FF. Its adequacy was confirmed by comparing the MM-optimized structure with the X-ray crystal one of the CYP–ketoconazole complex. We also performed 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations and revealed that the coordination bonds around heme-Fe were maintained even at 310 K and that the CYP–ketoconazole structure was kept similar to the X-ray structure. Furthermore, we investigated the electronic states of the complex using the ab initio FMO method to identify the CYP residues and parts of ketoconazole that contribute to strong binding between CYP and ketoconazole. The present procedure of constructing FF between heme-Fe and ketoconazole can be applicable to other CYP–ligand complexes, and the modified FF can provide their accurate structures useful for predicting the specific interactions between CYP and its ligands.

Resolving Photoinduced Femtosecond Three-Dimensional Solute-Solvent Dynamics through Surface Hopping Simulations.

Photoinduced dynamics in solution is governed by mutual solute-solvent interactions, which give rise to phenomena like solvatochromism, the Stokes shift, dual fluorescence, or charge transfer. Understanding these phenomena requires simulating the solute's photoinduced dynamics and simultaneously resolving the three-dimensional solvent distribution dynamics. If using trajectory surface hopping (TSH) to this aim, thousands of trajectories are required to adequately sample the time-dependent three-dimensional solvent distribution functions, and thus resolve the solvent dynamics with sub-Ångstrom and femtosecond accuracy and sufficiently low noise levels. Unfortunately, simulating thousands of trajectories with TSH in the framework of hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) can be prohibitively expensive when employing ab initio electronic structure methods. To tackle this challenge, we recently introduced a computationally efficient approach that combines efficient linear vibronic coupling models with molecular mechanics (LVC/MM) via electrostatic embedding [Polonius et al., JCTC 2023, 19, 7171-7186]. This method provides solvent-embedded, nonadiabatically coupled potential energy surfaces while scaling similarly to MM force fields. Here, we employ TSH with LVC/MM to unravel the photoinduced dynamics of two small thiocarbonyl compounds solvated in water. We describe how to estimate the number of trajectories required to produce nearly noise-free three-dimensional solvent distribution functions and present an analysis based on approximately 10,000 trajectories propagated for 3 ps. In the electronic ground state, both molecules exhibit in-plane hydrogen bonds to the sulfur atom. Shortly after excitation, these bonds are broken and reform perpendicular to the molecular plane on timescales that differ by an order of magnitude due to steric effects. We also show that the solvent relaxation dynamics is coupled to the electronic dynamics, including intersystem crossing. These findings are relevant to advance the understanding of the coupled solute-solvent dynamics of solvated photoexcited molecules, e.g., biologically relevant thio-nucleobases.

Enhancing Protein-Ligand Binding Affinity Predictions Using Neural Network Potentials.

This letter gives results on improving protein-ligand binding affinity predictions based on molecular dynamics simulations using machine learning potentials with a hybrid neural network potential and molecular mechanics methodology (NNP/MM). We compute relative binding free energies with the Alchemical Transfer Method and validate its performance against established benchmarks and find significant enhancements compared with conventional MM force fields like GAFF2.

Design of new molecules against cervical cancer using DFT, theoretical spectroscopy, 2D/3D-QSAR, molecular docking, pharmacophore and ADMET investigations

Cervical cancer is a major health problem of women. Hormone therapy, via aromatase inhibition, has been proposed as a promising way of blocking estrogen production as well as treating the progression of estrogen-dependent cancer. To overcome the challenging complexities of costly drug design, in-silico strategy, integrating Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD) and Ligand-Based Drug Design (LBDD), was applied to large representative databases of 39 quinazoline and thioquinazolinone compound derivatives. Quantum chemical and physicochemical descriptors have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and MM2 force fields, respectively, to develop 2D-QSAR models, while CoMSIA and CoMFA descriptors were used to build 3D-QSAR models. The robustness and predictive power of the reliable models were verified, via several validation methods, leading to the design of 6 new drug-candidates. Afterwards, 2 ligands were carefully selected using virtual screening methods, taking into account the applicability domain, synthetic accessibility, and Lipinski's criteria. Molecular docking and pharmacophore modelling studies were performed to examine potential interactions with aromatase (PDB ID: 3EQM). Finally, the ADMET properties were investigated in order to select potential drug-candidates against cervical cancer for experimental in vitro and in vivo testing.

Ion mobility calculations of flexible all-atom systems at arbitrary fields using two-temperature theory.

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separates and analyzes ions based on their mobility in a gas under an electric field. When the field is increased, the mobility varies in a complex way that depends on the relative velocity between gas and ion, their electrostatic potential interactions, and the effects from direct impingement. Recently, the two-temperature theory, primarily developed for monoatomic ions in monoatomic gases, has been extended to study mobilities at arbitrary fields using polyatomic ions in polyatomic gases, with some success. However, this extension poses challenges, such as inelastic collisions between gas and ion and structural modifications of ions as they heat up. These challenges become significant when working with diatomic gases and flexible molecules. In a previous study, experimental mobilities of tetraalkylammonium salts were obtained using a FAIMS instrument, showing satisfactory agreement with numerical two-temperature theory predictions. However, deviations occurred at fields greater than 100 Td. To address this issue, this paper introduces a modified high-field calculation method that accounts for the structural changes in ions due to field heating. The study focuses on tetraheptylammonium (THA+), tetradecylammonium (TDA+), and tetradodecylammonium (TDDA+) salts. Molecular structures were generated at various temperatures using MM2 forcefield. The mobility was calculated using IMoS 1.13 with two-temperature trajectory method calculations up to the fourth approximation. Multiple effective temperatures were considered, and a linear weighing system was used to create mobility vs. reduced field strength plots. The results suggest that the structural enlargement due to ion heating plays a significant role in mobility at high fields, aligning better with experimental data. FAIMS' dispersion plots also show improved agreement with experimental results. However, the contribution of inelastic collisions and energy transfer to rotational degrees of freedom in gas molecules remains a complex and challenging aspect.

VMD as a Platform for Interactive Small Molecule Preparation and Visualization in Quantum and Classical Simulations.

Modeling and simulation of small molecules such as drugs and biological cofactors have been both a major focus of computational chemistry for decades and a growing need among computational biophysicists who seek to investigate the interaction of different types of ligands with biomolecules. Of particular interest in this regard are quantum mechanical (QM) calculations that are used to more accurately describe such small molecules, which can be of heterogeneous structures and chemistry, either in purely QM calculations or in hybrid QM/molecular mechanics (MM) simulations. QM programs are also used to develop MM force field parameters for small molecules to be used along with established force fields for biomolecules in classical simulations. With this growing need in mind, here we report a set of software tools developed and closely integrated within the broadly used molecular visualization/analysis program, VMD, that allow the user to construct, modify, and parametrize small molecules and prepare them for QM, hybrid QM/MM, or classical simulations. The tools also provide interactive analysis and visualization capabilities in an easy-to-use and integrated environment. In this paper, we briefly report on these tools and their major features and capabilities, along with examples of how they can facilitate molecular research in computational biophysics that might be otherwise prohibitively complex.

Exploring the impact of electron acceptor tuning in D-π-A′-π-A photosensitizers on the photovoltaic performance of acridine-based DSSCs: A DFT/TDDFT perspective

Nine novel organic molecules with D-π-A′-π-A motifs, designated as (Ac-T-Qs-T-CA) and (Ac-T-Bx-T-CA), were proposed as potential photosensitizers for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). These novel organic photosensitizers are comprised of an acridine electron donor (Ac) and a thiophene π-spacer (T), while the electron acceptor unit (A′) is either a substituted quinoxaline (Qs) or a benzo[2,5]diazole-1-heteroatom (Bx), and the anchoring group (A) is 2-cyanoacrylic acid (CA). The influence of electron acceptor (A′) moieties on the electronic, photophysical, thermodynamic and photovoltaic properties of the photosensitizers was analyzed using DFT and TD-DFT calculations. The MM3 force field and CONFLEX conformational search methods were employed to study all possible structural conformations of the photosensitizers. The goal was to identify the lowest energy conformer and gain a better understanding of how the structure conformation and torsional angles of (Ac-T-Qs-T-CA) and (Ac-T-Bx-T-CA) compared to the reference photosensitizer RK1 affect electron injection ability and overall performance of DSSCs. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that the photosensitizers (Ac-T-Q2,3-diOMe-T-CA) and (Ac-T-BtA-T-CA), which contain a 2,3-dimethoxyquinoxaline (Q2,3-diOMe) and a benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole (BtA) acceptor moieties, respectively, exhibit a noteworthy enhancement in their electron-injection free energy (ΔGinj) and a reduction in their recombination-free energy (ΔGrec) values, leading to an improvement in the overall photovoltaic properties of the solar cell when compared to the other photosensitizers. The photovoltaic characteristics of the photosensitizers showed that the photosensitizer (Ac-T-Q2,3-diOMe-T-CA) demonstrated the highest values of open-circuit photovoltage (Voc = 1.41 eV) and light harvesting efficiency (LHE = 0.80 eV) compared to the other (Ac-T-Qs-T-CA) photosensitizers. Similarly, (Ac-T-BtA-T-CA) photosensitizer demonstrated the highest Voc (1.08 eV) and LHE (0.75 eV) among (Ac-T-Bx-T-CA) photosensitizers. The photovoltaic performance of these new photosensitizers outperformed the reference RK1 photosensitizer, which only achieved a Voc of 1.2 eV and LHE of 0.61 eV. Finally, the electronic structures and optical properties of photosensitizers adsorbed on the TiO2 surface were studied to provide more accurate information about their adsorption on the semiconductor surface.

Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) modeling study of some novel thiazolidine 4-one derivatives as potent anti-tubercular agents

This study aims to develop a QSAR model for Antitubercular activity. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) approach predicted the thiazolidine-4-ones derivative’s Antitubercular activity. For the QSAR study, 53 molecules with Antitubercular activity on H37Rv were collected from the literature. Compound structures were drawn by ACD/Labs ChemSketch. The energy minimization of the 2D structure was done using the MM2 force field in Chem3D pro. PaDEL Descriptor software was used to construct the molecular descriptors. QSARINS software was used in this work to develop the 2D QSAR model. A series of thiazolidine 4-one with MIC data were taken from the literature to develop the QSAR model. These compounds were split into a training set (43 compounds) and a test set (10 compounds). The PaDEL software calculated 2300 descriptors for this series of thiazolidine 4-one derivatives. The best predictive Model 4, which has R 2 of 0.9092, R 2adj of 0.8950 and LOF parameter of 0.0289 identify a preferred fit. The QSAR study resulted in a stable, predictive, and robust model representing the original dataset. In the QSAR equation, the molecular descriptor of MLFER_S, GATSe2, Shal, and EstateVSA 6 positively correlated with Antitubercular activity. While the SpMAD_Dzs 6 is negatively correlated with Antitubercular activity. The high polarizability, Electronegativities, Surface area contributions and number of Halogen atoms in the thiazolidine 4-one derivatives will increase the Antitubercular activity.

Ab initio MD for K+ channel parameter optimization.

Potassium channels are the most widely distributed ion channels. It permeates potassium ions at a high rate (150 mA or an ion per ∼10 ns). The MD simulated conductance is usually lower than the experiment and the ion force field is typically blamed. We used ab initio MD at the DFT level to specifically investigate the process of ion permeation through a prototypical potassium channel. The QM potential of mean force (PMF) indicate that the MM force fields overestimate the barrier in ion permeation and overestimate the energy when potassium ions are closely contacting inside the channel. Different parameter modifications were made to improve the description during permeation.

Interaction of Components of Epoxy Composite Containing Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Oxide Mixture

Mixtures of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) in composite materials often exhibit synergistic effects with respect to mechanical and electrophysical properties. In this paper, the mechanisms of interaction between CNTs, GO and epoxydian resin macromolecules were discussed based on the results of molecular dynamics simulations. Calculations were performed in the MM3 force field at exposure times up to 100 ps. The influence of the CNT’s graphene layers shape and the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on the self-assembly process during the epoxy composite formation has been demonstrated. It is shown that graphene oxide sheets are arranged around cylindrical nanotubes and envelop them, while when using tapered nanotubes, the formation of alternating layers of CNTs and GO should be expected. The presence of oxygen-containing groups on the surface of cylindrical nanotubes promotes the penetration of epoxydian resin macromolecules into the space between CNTs and GO. The simulation results of the "cylindrical CNTs - GO" and the "conical CNTs - GO" hybrid particles were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy data.

Evaluation of molecular photophysical and photochemical properties using linear response time-dependent density functional theory with classical embedding: Successes and challenges.

Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) based approaches have been developed in recent years to model the excited-state properties and transition processes of the molecules in the gas-phase and in a condensed medium, such as in a solution and protein microenvironment or near semiconductor and metal surfaces. In the latter case, usually, classical embedding models have been adopted to account for the molecular environmental effects, leading to the multi-scale approaches of TDDFT/polarizable continuum model (PCM) and TDDFT/molecular mechanics (MM), where a molecular system of interest is designated as the quantum mechanical region and treated with TDDFT, while the environment is usually described using either a PCM or (non-polarizable or polarizable) MM force fields. In this Perspective, we briefly review these TDDFT-related multi-scale models with a specific emphasis on the implementation of analytical energy derivatives, such as the energy gradient and Hessian, the nonadiabatic coupling, the spin-orbit coupling, and the transition dipole moment as well as their nuclear derivatives for various radiative and radiativeless transition processes among electronic states. Three variations of the TDDFT method, the Tamm-Dancoff approximation to TDDFT, spin-flip DFT, and spin-adiabatic TDDFT, are discussed. Moreover, using a model system (pyridine-Ag20 complex), we emphasize that caution is needed to properly account for system-environment interactions within the TDDFT/MM models. Specifically, one should appropriately damp the electrostatic embedding potential from MM atoms and carefully tune the van der Waals interaction potential between the system and the environment. We also highlight the lack of proper treatment of charge transfer between the quantum mechanics and MM regions as well as the need for accelerated TDDFT modelings and interpretability, which calls for new method developments.

An investigation on the structure and group vibrations of balenine molecule by matrix isolation IR spectroscopy, DFT and MP2 based calculations

Stable conformers of neutral balenine were scanned through molecular dynamics simulations and energy minimizations using Allinger’s MM2 force field. For each of the found minimum-energy conformers, geometry optimization and thermochemistry calculations were performed by using B3LYP, MP2, G3MP2B3 methods, 6-31G(d), 6–311++G(d,p) and aug-cc-pvTZ basis sets. The calculation results have indicated that balenine has about twenty stable conformers whose relative energies are in the range of 0–9.5 kcal/mol. Three of these are thought to provide the major contribution to matrix isolation IR spectra of the molecule. Our solvent calculations using the polarized continuum model revealed the stable zwitterion structures which are predicted to dominate IR spectra of balenine in water and heavy water (D2O) solvents. Pulay’s SQM-FF method was used in scaling of the harmonic force constants and vibrational spectral data calculated for the neutral and zwitterion structures. These refined calculation data together with those obtained from anharmonic frequency calculations enabled us to correctly interpret the matrix isolation IR spectrum of balenine and the tautomerism-based changes observed in its KBr IR and solution (D2O) IR spectra. The results revealed the crucial role of conformation and zwitterionic tautomerism on the structure and vibrational spectral data of the molecule.

Introduction of Polarized Embedding QMMM Technique in CHARMM with PSI4

Combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods are applied to gain insights into enzymatic catalytic mechanisms of proteins and vibrational spectra in condensed phase environments, among others. In QM/MM the reactive chemical structure or chromophore is described by an accurate but computationally expensive QM model while rest of the system, usually comprised of protein, water and ions, are described by a MM force field. The accuracy and reliability of a QM/MM method especially depends on level of integration between QM and MM regions.

In silico analysis of ciprofloxacin analogs as inhibitors of DNA gyrase of Staphylococcusaureus

In this in silico study, thirty-five ciprofloxacin analogs were docked to the active site of DNA gyrase, the prime target of ciprofloxacin type antibiotics. Prior to docking all the structures were optimized using MM2 force field parameters. The study revealed that five candidates, namely 6MePQ_3, 6MePQ_11, A6MePQ_3, HPQ_11, and PQ_7, exhibited promising binding to DNA gyrase. Upon analysis of the ligand-receptor complex, it is also divulged that this binding has been stabilized by the interaction between different neutral, nonpolar, aromatic amino-acid residues of DNA gyrase and the ciprofloxacin analogs. Moreover, the interaction between ciprofloxacin analogs and DNA gyrase was mainly governed by hydrophobic interactions and, to a lesser extent, hydrogen bonds. Halogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and other types of interactions were almost absent in all cases. Molecular dynamic simulation was performed to recognize the structural variations and the complexes' stability of suggested ligands. This study indicates that 6MePQ_3 forms a stable drug-protein complex. On the other site, Pharmacokinetic filtering done using SwissADME server, reveals that 6MePQ_3 is well absorbed from the GI tract, does not cross BBB and is not a P-gp substrate. But it is possible to check and confirm its all “in silico” pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics characteristics in real life by synthesis and subsequent analysis of this ligand.

Synthesis, Spectroscopic, Molecular Modeling and Anti-Fungal Studies of Some Divalent Metal Complexes of 4-Hydroxyacetophenone Isonicotinoyl Hydrazone

A novel ligand N-4-hydroxyacetophenone isonicotinoyl hydrazone and its manganese(II) and nickel(II) metal complexes have been synthesized. The synthesized Schiff base and its metal complexes have been characterized by physical state determination, melting point and solubility measurements in different solvents, infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometric and powder X-ray spectroscopic techniques. The thermal properties of the prepared compounds were obtained from TG/DTG measurements. On the basis of the analytical techniques, the ligand was found to be bidentate in nature coordinating to the metal ions through the azomethine nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen atoms leading to distorted octahedral geometries of the metal complexes which were modeled using MM2 force field. The ligand and its metal(II) complexes were evaluated for antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Rhizopus stolonifera. The antifungal evaluation results revealed an enhanced activity upon coordination of the ligand with the metal(II) ions. The activity of the metal complex to the tested fungal strains was in the order Ni(II) > Mn(II).

In silico design and evaluation of novel 5-fluorouracil analogues as potential anticancer agents

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been shown to have suffered from resistance which demands a solution entailing the development of 5-FU analogues. Our study aims to design a number of analogues of 5-FU and evaluate their effectiveness against thymidylate synthase (TS) in silico compared to parent 5-FU with an effort to obtain better hit(s). All the molecules were optimized by molecular mechanics method utilizing MM2 forcefield parameters. Molecular docking of these molecules against TS was performed to catch on the binding strength of these molecules, determination of binding energy & interaction types of each ligand-target complex as well as subsequent analysis. PRA10 showed highest binding affinity (-9.1 Kcal/mol). Although binding energy of PRA6 & PRA14 are slightly lower than PRA10, they can be of special interest since they interact with crucial amino acids for binding and exhibit substantial non-bonded interactions. Residue analysis revealed that Arg50A, Arg175B, Arg215A, Ser216A, Arg176B and Asn226A of TS active site were crucial for binding/interaction. The best scored drug candidates demonstrated considerable pharmacokinetic as well as druglike properties. The present study also revealed that PRA6, PRA10 and PRA14 can be potential anticancer drugs for further development.

Molecular Docking Studies of Bioactive Nicotiflorin against 6W63 Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

COVID-19 which is known as the novel coronavirus was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan city, China and many people have been contaminated by environmental contamination and transmission from one human to another until now. The objective of the present work is to establish the inhibitory potential of nicotiflorin, a Kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside flavonoid, against the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) 6W63 (main protease 3Clpro protein), using molecular docking approach. The Molegro Virtual Docker software (MVD) with a 30 Å grid resolution was used. The structure was drawn by Chem 3D software and energy minimization was done by the MM2 force field. The protein 6W63 was downloaded from the protein data bank. Molegro modeller was used for score calculations. The molecular docking studies were carried out on nicotiflorin and standard inhibitor X77, where standard inhibitor was observed in a co-crystallized state with main protease 3Clpro protein 6W63. The MolDock score, Rerank Sore, and H Bond score of nicotiflorin and standard inhibitor X77 were observed as -173.058, -127.302, -21.9398 and -156.913,-121.296,-5.7369, respectively. Molecular docking studies have confirmed that the affinity of flavonoid nicotiflorin with the amino acids of the viral protein 6W63 was relatively more than the standard X77. For the effective treatment of novel coronavirus COVID-19, the effectiveness of the identified flavonoid nicotiflorin can further be evaluated for safety and efficacy parameters at both preclinical and clinical stages.

Molecular Binding Mechanism and Pharmacology Comparative Analysis of Noscapine for Repurposing against SARS-CoV-2 Protease.

Originating in the city of Wuhan in China in December 2019, COVID-19 has emerged now as a global health emergency with a high number of deaths worldwide. COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus, referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), resulting in pandemic conditions around the globe. We are in the battleground to fight against the virus by rapidly developing therapeutic strategies in tackling SARS-CoV-2 and saving human lives from COVID-19. Scientists are evaluating several known drugs either for the pathogen or the host; however, many of them are reported to be associated with side effects. In the present study, we report the molecular binding mechanisms of the natural alkaloid, noscapine, for repurposing against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, a key enzyme involved in its reproduction. We performed the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in an explicit solvent to investigate the molecular mechanisms of noscapine for stable binding and conformational changes to the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2. The drug repurposing study revealed the high potential of noscapine and proximal binding to the Mpro enzyme in a comparative binding pattern analyzed with chloroquine, ribavirin, and favipiravir. Noscapine binds closely to binding pocket-3 of the Mpro enzyme and depicted stable binding with RMSD 0.1-1.9 Å and RMSF profile peak conformational fluctuations at 202-306 residues, and a Rg score ranging from 21.9 to 22.4 Å. The MM/PB (GB) SA calculation landscape revealed the most significant contribution in terms of binding energy with ΔPB -19.08 and ΔGB -27.17 kcal/mol. The electrostatic energy distribution in MM energy was obtained to be -71.16 kcal/mol and depicted high free energy decomposition (electrostatic energy) at 155-306 residues (binding pocket-3) of Mpro by a MM force field. Moreover, the dynamical residue cross-correlation map also stated that the high pairwise correlation occurred at binding residues 200-306 of the Mpro enzyme (binding pocket-3) with noscapine. Principal component analysis depicted the enhanced movement of protein atoms with a high number of static hydrogen bonds. The obtained binding results of noscapine were also well correlated with the pharmacokinetic parameters of antiviral drugs.

Benchmark Computations of the Binding Energy of Amino Acids to Benzene: The Role of Water

The binding energies of single amino acids to benzene have been computed quantum mechanically using DFT, ccCA-CC(2,3) and ccCA-S4. The goal is to produce binding energies of chemical accuracy that can be used as a comparison with MM force-fields. Even in these small systems we found that water plays a major role in determining the binding energy of the amino acids. A small number of explicit water molecules must be present on the amino acids to accurately model the binding. These water molecules cannot be modeled with a continuum approximation. DFT calculations indicate that approximately two water molecules are needed to saturate the carboxylic acid group and lead to a stable binding energy. In addition it was found that while the zwitterion form of the amino acid is unstable in a vacuum with respect to hydrogen ion transfer, the addition of a single water molecule allows the zwitterion to form a shallow local minimum. We were unable to determine how many water molecules were required to fully solvate the zwitterion.

Avoiding Electron Spill-Out in QM/MM Calculations on Excited States with Simple Pseudopotentials.

QM/MM calculations of electronic excitations with diffuse basis sets often have large errors due to spill-out of electrons from the quantum subsystem. The Pauli repulsion of the electrons by the environment has to be included to avoid this. We propose transferable atomic all-electron pseudopotentials that can readily be combined with most MM force fields to avoid electron spill-out. QM/MM excitation energies computed with time-dependent Hartree-Fock and the algebraic diagrammatic construction through second-order are benchmarked against supermolecular calculations to validate these new pseudopotentials. The QM/MM calculations with pseudopotentials give accurate results that are stable with augmentation of the basis set with diffuse functions. We show that the largest contribution to residual deviations from full QM calculations is caused by the missing London dispersion interaction.