George L. Barnes

Energy transfer, unfolding, and fragmentation dynamics in collisions of N-protonated octaglycine with an H-SAM surface.

Results are reported for PM3 and RM1 QM+MM direct dynamics simulations of collisions of N-protonated octaglycine (gly(8)-H(+)) with an octanethiol self-assembled monolayer (H-SAM) surface. Detailed analyses of the energy transfer, fragmentation, and conformational changes induced by the collisions are described. Extensive comparisons are made between the simulations and previously reported experimental studies. Good agreement between the two semiempirical methods is found regarding energy transfer, while differences are seen for their fragmentation time scales. Trajectories were calculated for 8 ps with collision energies from 5 to 110 eV and incident angles of 0 degrees and 45 degrees. A linear relationship is found between the collision energy and key parameters of the final internal energy distributions of both gly(8)-H(+) and the H-SAM. In general wider distributions are seen for the H-SAM than for the peptide ion. An incident angle of 45 degrees leads to more energy transfer to the peptide, with wider distributions. The average percentage energy transfer to gly(8)-H(+) is nearly independent of the collision energy, while the average percentage transfer to the surface increases with collision energy. For normal incidence, we find an average percentage energy transfer to gly(8)-H(+) which is in excellent agreement with the experimentally measured value 10.1 +/- 0.8% for the octapeptide des-Arg(1)-bradykinin [J. Chem. Phys. 2003, 119, 3414]. At each collision energy dramatic conformational changes of gly(8)-H(+) are seen. The initial folded structure rearranges to form a beta-sheet like structure showing that the collision induces peptide unfolding. This process is more pronounced at an incident angle of 45 degrees. Following the conformation change, nonshattering fragmentation, promoted by proton transfer, is observed at the highest collision energies. Substantially more fragmentation occurs for the RM1 simulations.

Direct Chemical Dynamics Simulations

In a direct dynamics simulation, the technologies of chemical dynamics and electronic structure theory are coupled so that the potential energy, gradient, and Hessian required from the simulation are obtained directly from the electronic structure theory. These simulations are extensively used to (1) interpret experimental results and understand the atomic-level dynamics of chemical reactions; (2) illustrate the ability of classical simulations to correctly interpret and predict chemical dynamics when quantum effects are expected to be unimportant; (3) obtain the correct classical dynamics predicted by an electronic structure theory; (4) determine a deeper understanding of when statistical theories are valid for predicting the mechanisms and rates of chemical reactions; and (5) discover new reaction pathways and chemical dynamics. Direct dynamics simulation studies are described for bimolecular SN2 nucleophilic substitution, unimolecular decomposition, post-transition-state dynamics, mass spectrometry experiments, and semiclassical vibrational spectra. Also included are discussions of quantum effects, the accuracy of classical chemical dynamics simulation, and the methodology of direct dynamics.

Transition state analysis: Bent out of shape

Reactants require a certain amount of energy to react — but what kind of energy? Chemical dynamics simulations predict that vibrationally exciting reactants can promote 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions by bending them into the correct transition state shape.

Model Simulations of the Thermal Dissociation of the TIK(H+)2 Tripeptide: Mechanisms and Kinetic Parameters

Direct dynamics simulations, utilizing the RM1 semiempirical electronic structure theory, were performed to study the thermal dissociation of the doubly protonated tripeptide threonine-isoleucine-lysine ion, TIK(H+)2, for temperatures of 1250-2500 K, corresponding to classical energies of 1778-3556 kJ/mol. The number of different fragmentation pathways increases with increase in temperature. At 1250 K there are only three fragmentation pathways, with one contributing 85% of the fragmentation. In contrast, at 2500 K, there are 61 pathways, and not one dominates. The same ion is often formed via different pathways, and at 2500 K there are only 14 m/z values for the product ions. The backbone and side-chain fragmentations occur by concerted reactions, with simultaneous proton transfer and bond rupture, and also by homolytic bond ruptures without proton transfer. For each temperature the TIK(H+)2 fragmentation probability versus time is exponential, in accord with the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus and transition state theories. Rate constants versus temperature were determined for two proton transfer and two bond rupture pathways. From Arrhenius plots activation energies Ea and A-factors were determined for these pathways. They are 62-78 kJ/mol and (2-3) × 1012 s-1 for the proton transfer pathways and 153-168 kJ/mol and (2-4) × 1014 s-1 for the bond rupture pathways. For the bond rupture pathways, the product cation radicals undergo significant structural changes during the bond rupture as a result of hydrogen bonding, which lowers their entropies and also their Ea and A parameters relative to those for C-C bond rupture pathways in hydrocarbon molecules. The Ea values determined from the simulation Arrhenius plots are in very good agreement with the reaction barriers for the RM1 method used in the simulations. A preliminary simulation of TIK(H+)2 collision-induced dissociation (CID), at a collision energy of 13 eV (1255 kJ/mol), was also performed to compare with the thermal dissociation simulations. Though the energy transferred to TIK(H+)2 in the collisions is substantially less than the energy for the thermal excitations, there is substantial fragmentation as a result of the localized, nonrandom excitation by the collisions. CID results in different fragmentation pathways with a significant amount of short time nonstatistical fragmentation. Backbone fragmentation is less important, and side-chain fragmentation is more important for the CID simulations as compared to the thermal simulations. The thermal simulations provide information regarding the long-time statistical fragmentation.

Energy and temperature dependent dissociation of the Na+(benzene)1,2 clusters: Importance of anharmonicity

Chemical dynamics simulations were performed to study the unimolecular dissociation of randomly excited Na(+)(Bz) and Na(+)(Bz)2 clusters; Bz = benzene. The simulations were performed at constant energy, and temperatures in the range of 1200-2200 K relevant to combustion, using an analytic potential energy surface (PES) derived in part from MP2/6-311+G* calculations. The clusters decompose with exponential probabilities, consistent with RRKM unimolecular rate theory. Analyses show that intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution is sufficiently rapid within the clusters that their unimolecular dynamics is intrinsically RRKM. Arrhenius parameters, determined from the simulations of the clusters, are unusual in that Ea is ∼10 kcal/mol lower the Na(+)(Bz) → Na(+) + Bz dissociation energy and the A-factor is approximately two orders-of-magnitude too small. Analyses indicate that temperature dependent anharmonicity is important for the Na(+)(Bz) clusters unimolecular rate constants k(T). This is consistent with the temperature dependent anharmonicity found for the Na(+)(Bz) cluster from a Monte Carlo calculation based on the analytic PES used for the simulations. Apparently temperature dependent anharmonicity is quite important for unimolecular dissociation of the Na(+)(Bz)1,2 clusters.

Dynamics of Protonated Peptide Ion Collisions with Organic Surfaces: Consonance of Simulation and Experiment.

In this Perspective, mass spectrometry experiments and chemical dynamics simulations are described that have explored the atomistic dynamics of protonated peptide ions, peptide-H(+), colliding with organic surfaces. These studies have investigated the energy transfer and fragmentation dynamics for peptide-H(+) surface-induced dissociation (SID), peptide-H(+) physisorption on the surface, soft landing (SL), and peptide-H(+) reaction with the surface, reactive landing (RL). SID provides primary structures of biological ions and information regarding their fragmentation pathways and energetics. Two SID mechanisms are found for peptide-H(+) fragmentation. A traditional mechanism in which peptide-H(+) is vibrationally excited by its collision with the surface, rebounds off the surface and then dissociates in accord with the statistical, RRKM unimolecular rate theory. The other, shattering, is a nonstatistical mechanism in which peptide-H(+) fragments as it collides with the surface, dissociating via many pathways and forming many product ions. Shattering is important for collisions with diamond and perfluorinated self-assembled monolayer (F-SAM) surfaces, increasing in importance with the peptide-H(+) collision energy. Chemical dynamics simulations also provide important mechanistic insights on SL and RL of biological ions on surfaces. The simulations indicate that SL occurs via multiple mechanisms consisting of sequences of peptide-H(+) physisorption on and penetration in the surface. SL and RL have a broad range of important applications including preparation of protein or peptide microarrays, development of biocompatible substrates and biosensors, and preparation of novel synthetic materials, including nanomaterials. An important RL mechanism is intact deposition of peptide-H(+) on the surface.

NH4+ + CH4 Gas Phase Collisions as a Possible Analogue to Protonated Peptide/Surface Induced Dissociation†

Results are reported for a direct dynamics simulation of NH(4)(+) + CH(4) gas phase collisions. We interpret the results with protonated peptide/hydrogenated alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayer (H-SAM) surface collisions in mind. Previous theoretical studies of such systems have made use of nonreactive surfaces, and therefore, our goal is to investigate the types and likelihood of peptide/H-SAM reactions. In that vein, the NH(4)(+) + CH(4) reaction represents a simple gas phase system which includes many of the important interactions present in protonated peptide/H-SAM surfaces. Thirty-seven open pathways are seen in the 5-35 eV collision energy range. An energy dependence on the likelihood of forming CN bonds is found. This type of bonding could deposit both the peptide and its molecular fragments on the H-SAM surface. For our gas phase collision system, around 50% of the trajectories result in the formation of CN bonds. For all collision energies in which reactive scattering occurs, CN bond formation is an important reaction pathway.

A Computational Comparison of Soft Landing of α-Helical vs Globular Peptides

The effect of secondary structure on the soft landing process is investigated through direct dynamics simulations of AcA7K and AcKA7 colliding with a fluorinated, organic self-assembled monolayer (FSAM) surface. The α-helical (AcA7K) and globular (AcKA7) peptides each exhibited a similar probability of soft landing with normal incidence at all collision energies considered. Rapid conformational changes were quantified through the calculation of the time dependent, conformational entropy production that took place during the collision events, which is consistent with the prior structural measurements made by Laskin and co-workers on these systems. AcA7K produces more entropy during the collisions than AcKA7.

tsscds2018: A code for automated discovery of chemical reaction mechanisms and solving the kinetics

A new software, called tsscds2018, has been developed to discover reaction mechanisms and solve the kinetics in a fully automated fashion. The program employs algorithms based on Graph Theory to find transition state (TS) geometries from accelerated semiempirical dynamics simulations carried out with MOPAC2016. Then, the TSs are connected to the corresponding minima and the reaction network is obtained. Kinetic data like populations vs time or the abundancies of each product can also be obtained with our program thanks to a Kinetic Monte Carlo routine. Highly accurate ab initio potential energy diagrams and kinetics can also be obtained using an interface with Gaussian09. The source code is available on the following site: http://forge.cesga.es/wiki/g/tsscds/HomePage