Issue 11, 2022

Dissociative electron attachment to 5-bromo-uracil: non-adiabatic dynamics on complex-valued potential energy surfaces

Abstract

Electron induced dissociation reactions are relevant to many fields, ranging from prebiotic chemistry to cancer treatments. However, the simulation of dissociation electron attachment (DEA) dynamics is very challenging because the auto-ionization widths of the transient negative ions must be accounted for. We propose an adaptation of the ab initio multiple spawning (AIMS) method for complex-valued potential energy surfaces, along the lines of recent developments based on surface hopping dynamics. Our approach combines models for the energy dependence of the auto-ionization widths, obtained from scattering calculations, with survival probabilities computed for the trajectory basis functions employed in the AIMS dynamics. The method is applied to simulate the DEA dynamics of 5-bromo-uracil in full dimensionality, i.e., taking all the vibrational modes into consideration. The propagation starts on the Image ID:d1cp05663h-t1.gif resonance state and describes the formation of Br anions mediated by non-adiabatic couplings. The potential energies, gradients and non-adiabatic couplings were computed with the fractional-occupancy molecular orbital complete-active-space configuration-interaction method, and the calculated DEA cross section are consistent with the observed DEA intensities.

Graphical abstract: Dissociative electron attachment to 5-bromo-uracil: non-adiabatic dynamics on complex-valued potential energy surfaces

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Dec 2021
Accepted
25 Feb 2022
First published
25 Feb 2022

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022,24, 6845-6855

Dissociative electron attachment to 5-bromo-uracil: non-adiabatic dynamics on complex-valued potential energy surfaces

L. M. Cornetta, T. J. Martinez and M. T. D. N. Varella, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 6845 DOI: 10.1039/D1CP05663H

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