Consistent force field type potentials

Vibrational spectroscopy has played a very important role in the development of potential functions for molecular mechanics studies of proteins. Force constants which appear in the energy expressions are heavily parameterized from infrared and Raman studies of small model compounds. One approach to the interpretation of vibrational spectra for biopolymers has been a harmonic analysis whereby spectra are fit by geometry and/or force constant changes. There are a number of reasons for developing other approaches. The consistent force field (CFF) type potentials used in computer simulations are meant to model the motions of the atoms over a large ranee of conformations and, implicitly temperatures, without reparameterization. It is also desirable to develop a formalism for interpreting vibrational spectra which takes into account the variation in the conformations of the chromophore and surroundings which occur due to thermal motions. 

The various types of successful approaches can be classified into two groups empirical model calculations based on molecular force fields and quantum mechanical approximations. In the first class of methods experimental data are used to evaluate the parameters which appear in the model. The shape of the potential surfaces in turn is described by expressions which were found to be appropriate by semiclassicala> or quantum mechanical methods. Most calculations of this type are based upon the electrostatic model. Another more general approach, the "consistent force field method, was recently applied to the forces in hydrogen-bonded crystals 48> 49>. 

CFF. The consistent force field (CCF) [34] developed by Biosym ° is a descendent of CVFF but differs in the specific types of potential terms. The nonbonded terms of CFF include a quartic bond-stretch term (Eq. (4.4)), a quartic... 

All members of the consistent force field family of programs are available, from QCPE or from the authors they are described under section 3.4 They are all singular in a way they allow for optimisation of potential energy function parameters on many types of observable, and are therefore splendid tools in the hands of a skilled worker. 

We have seen that for our calculations essentially two types of force fields have to be considered VFF- and UBFF-expressions. The main difference with repect to spectroscopic force fields consists in the superposition of nonbonded interactions. The force fields used so far for our purposes are almost exclusively simple valence force fields without cross terms, and a veriety of UB-force fields. Only recently could experiences be gathered with a valence force field that includes a number of important cross terms (79). Vibrational spectroscopic force fields of both types have been derived and tested with an overwhelming amount of experimental data. The comprehensive investigations of alkanes by Schachtschneider and Snyder (26) may be mentioned out of numerous examples. The insights gained from this voluminous spectroscopic work are important also when searching for suitable potentials for our force-field calculations. 

If, on the other hand, the field forces the mobile holes away from the surface, a space charge region consisting of the ionized acceptor atoms, which are fixed in the lattice, forms over an appreciable distance into the semiconductor. The thickness of the surface space charge region is a function of the strength of the field at the surface and the semiconductor doping profile, as is the difference between the surface potential and the bulk potential of the semiconductor. If the surface potential deviates sufficiently far from the bulk potential, the surface will invert that is, it will contain an excess of mobile electrons. In this case, an -type conductive channel... 

---