Structure and binding in crystals of cagelike molecules: Hexamine and platonic hydrocarbons
Journal article, 2010

In this paper, we show that first-principle calculations using a van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) [M. Dion, H. Rydberg, E. Schroumlder, D. C. Langreth, and B. I. Lundqvist, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 246401 (2004)] permit the determination of molecular crystal structure within density functional theory (DFT). We study the crystal structures of hexamine and the platonic hydrocarbons (cubane and dodecahedrane). The calculated lattice parameters and cohesion energy agree well with experiments. Further, we examine the asymptotic accounts of the van der Waals forces by comparing full vdW-DF with asymptotic atom-based pair potentials extracted from vdW-DF. The character of the binding differs in the two cases, with vdW-DF giving a significant enhancement at intermediate and relevant binding separations. We analyze consequences of this result for methods such as DFT-D and question DFT-D's transferability over the full range of separations.

density functional theory

binding energy

ab initio calculations

DER-WAALS INTERACTIONS

VAN

DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL THEORY

structure

COMPLEXES

van der Waals forces

DFT-D

SOLID CUBANE

crystal binding

crystal

ENERGY

FORCE-FIELD

organic

compounds

lattice constants

GENERALIZED GRADIENT APPROXIMATION

X-RAY

Author

Kristian Berland

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Per Hyldgaard

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Journal of Chemical Physics

0021-9606 (ISSN) 1089-7690 (eISSN)

Vol. 132 13 (Published: April 7 2010) (Article Number: 134705)- 134705

Areas of Advance

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Life Science Engineering (2010-2018)

Materials Science

Subject Categories

Condensed Matter Physics

DOI

10.1063/1.3366652

More information

Created

10/7/2017