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Lecture

Computational Chemistry: Basics and Applications

In course

CH-431: Physical and computational organic chemistry

This course introduces modern computational electronic structure methods and their broad applications to organic chemistry. It also discusses physical organic concepts to illustrate the stability and reactivity of organic molecules. ...

Description

This lecture series introduces students to diverse computational chemistry approaches, their applications in organic chemistry, and their strengths and limitations. Topics include ab initio methods, DFT, thermodynamic stability, electronic structure theory, and basis sets.

Instructor

Anne-Clémence Corminboeuf

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Chemistry

Computational chemistry: Topics in computational chemistry

Related concepts (32)

Quantum chemistry

Quantum chemistry, also called molecular quantum mechanics, is a branch of physical chemistry focused on the application of quantum mechanics to chemical systems, particularly towards the quantum-mechanical calculation of electronic contributions to physical and chemical properties of molecules, materials, and solutions at the atomic level. These calculations include systematically applied approximations intended to make calculations computationally feasible while still capturing as much information about important contributions to the computed wave functions as well as to observable properties such as structures, spectra, and thermodynamic properties.

Computational chemistry

Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses computer simulation to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses methods of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of molecules, groups of molecules, and solids. It is essential because, apart from relatively recent results concerning the hydrogen molecular ion (dihydrogen cation, see references therein for more details), the quantum many-body problem cannot be solved analytically, much less in closed form.

Ab initio quantum chemistry methods

Ab initio quantum chemistry methods are computational chemistry methods based on quantum chemistry. The term ab initio was first used in quantum chemistry by Robert Parr and coworkers, including David Craig in a semiempirical study on the excited states of benzene. The background is described by Parr. Ab initio means "from first principles" or "from the beginning", implying that the only inputs into an ab initio calculation are physical constants.

Basis set (chemistry)

In theoretical and computational chemistry, a basis set is a set of functions (called basis functions) that is used to represent the electronic wave function in the Hartree–Fock method or density-functional theory in order to turn the partial differential equations of the model into algebraic equations suitable for efficient implementation on a computer. The use of basis sets is equivalent to the use of an approximate resolution of the identity: the orbitals are expanded within the basis set as a linear combination of the basis functions , where the expansion coefficients are given by .

Basis (linear algebra)

In mathematics, a set B of vectors in a vector space V is called a basis (: bases) if every element of V may be written in a unique way as a finite linear combination of elements of B. The coefficients of this linear combination are referred to as components or coordinates of the vector with respect to B. The elements of a basis are called . Equivalently, a set B is a basis if its elements are linearly independent and every element of V is a linear combination of elements of B.

Related lectures (31)

Quantum Chemical Electronic Structure Methods

Explores quantum chemical electronic structure methods, including basis sets and the Hartree-Fock method.

Hartree-Fock Method: Basis Sets and Quantum Chemistry

Explores the Hartree-Fock method, basis sets, Slater determinants, and quantum chemistry concepts like spin contamination and Hund's rule.

Basis Sets II: Types and Accuracy

Explores different types of basis sets, polarization functions, and accuracy challenges in computational chemistry.

Electronic Structure Methods

Covers basis set errors, Hartree-Fock methods, electron correlation, configuration interaction, and composite approaches in computational chemistry.

Basis Sets: Types and Functional Forms