Linear vs. cyclic alkanes with a simple FF

A simple force field for alkanes with bond and angle parameters being:

b1: [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

b83: [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

a1: [*:1]~[#6X4:2]-[*:3] matches CCC, CCH

a2: [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3] matches HCH

For the angle parameters the mean, max and min for different sets of alkanes from the QM data:

acyclic

Mean

Max

Min

a1

110.47

114.53

108.69

a2

107.42

109.48

105.99

cyclic

Mean

Max

Min

a1

109.77

118.01

59.99

a2

106.79

114.38

105.00

both
(cyclic + acyclic)

Mean

Max

Min

a1

110.02

118.01

59.99

a2

107.15

114.38

105.00

Different fits:

1. With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0)

With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0)

Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

b1, length, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

1.0

1.5

1.5

1.5

0.02

1.5

b1, k, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

500.0

488.8

487.6

487.7

0.53

517.2

b83, length, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

1.0

1.1

1.1

1.1

0.00

1.1

b83, k, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

700.0

699.9

699.9

699.9

0.01

754.1

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

113.7

108.9

109.2

104.9

1.93

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

99.2

83.1

88.5

112.9

12.97

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

90.0

105.5

105.4

94.1

5.35

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

60.0

93.4

96.2

42.2

24.78

66.6

X2 value

 

2.948394e+01

2.891730e+01

2.550521e+01

 

 

 

2. w/o priors (penalty_additive 0.0;penalty_multiplicative -1.0)

w/o priors (penalty_additive 0.0;penalty_multiplicative -1.0)

Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

b1, length, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

1.0

1.5

1.5

1.5

0.00

1.5

b1, k, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

500.0

521.1

1279.4

1106.4

324.47

517.2

b83, length, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

1.0

1.1

1.1

1.1

0.00

1.1

b83, k, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

700.0

699.2

590.9

153.2

236.03

754.1

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

113.7

120.4

123.4

88.7

15.70

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

99.2

72.9

62.7

59.4

5.75

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

90.0

117.0

119.3

88.1

14.20

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

60.0

71.8

66.4

63.4

3.46

66.6

X2 value

 

6.137531e-01

1.258127e+00

6.963839e-02

 

 

 

3. With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0), initial values same as 1.3.0

With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0), initial values same as 1.3.0

Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

b1, length, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

0.0

1.5

b1, k, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

517.2

517.6

517.6

517.3

0.2

517.2

b83, length, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

0.0

1.1

b83, k, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

754.1

754.1

754.1

754.1

0.0

754.1

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

113.7

117.1

117.4

114.6

1.2

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

99.2

74.4

78.0

94.8

8.9

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

114.3

113.3

113.8

113.1

0.3

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

66.6

78.8

80.1

64.5

7.1

66.6

X2 value

 

9.589902e-01

8.044047e-01

1.657006e-01

 

 

 

4. w/o priors (penalty_additive 0.0;penalty_multiplicative -1.0), initial values same as 1.3.0

w/o priors (penalty_additive 0.0;penalty_multiplicative -1.0), initial values same as 1.3.0

Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

b1, length, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

0.0

1.5

b1, k, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

517.2

972.8

1353.2

1148.0

155.5

517.2

b83, length, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

0.0

1.1

b83, k, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

754.1

304.4

579.8

153.3

176.6

754.1

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

113.7

120.8

123.4

88.6

15.8

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

99.2

59.2

62.8

59.6

1.6

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

114.3

115.1

119.3

88.0

13.8

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

66.6

75.4

66.6

63.7

5.0

66.6

X2 values

 

7.679078e-01

6.136701e-01

6.960467e-02

 

 

 

5. With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0), repeating iteration 1 optimizing only angles



Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

113.7

108.5

108.5

105.0

1.7

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

99.2

75.3

76.9

104.7

13.5

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

114.3

105.2

104.7

93.4

5.4

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

66.6

90.1

91.6

39.8

24.1

66.6

X2 values

 

1.978416e+00

1.802865e+00

4.377341e-01

 

 

 

6. With initial values close to 1.3.0,
since above iterations seem to optimize to a local minima (thanks to Trevor for pointing that out in our discussion)

From both the fits below it seems only equilibrium force constant is going higher and changes in equilibrium angles are low when cyclic and acyclic optgeo targets are considered during optimization.

6a.) Optimizing both bonds and angles

With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0)

Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

b1, length, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

1.4

1.5

1.5

1.5

0.01

1.5

b1, k, [#6X4:1]-[#6X4:2]

500.0

498.2

498.0

498.1

0.06

517.2

b83, length, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

1.0

1.1

1.1

1.1

0.00

1.1

b83, k, [#6X4:1]-[#1:2]

740.0

739.9

739.9

739.9

0.00

754.1

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

110.0

114.0

114.2

111.3

1.32

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

98.0

74.1

77.4

94.1

8.72

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

110.0

110.2

110.4

108.7

0.78

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

65.0

84.6

85.8

64.9

9.61

66.6

X2 values

 

3.497131e+00

3.342547e+00

2.413090e+00

 

 

6b.) Optimizing only angles

With priors (same as 1.2, penalty_additive 1.0)

Initial values

both

cyclic

acyclic

Std. Dev

Openff_1.3.0

a1, angle, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

110.0

114.1

114.3

111.3

1.3

113.7

a1, k, [*:1]-[#6X4:2]-[*:3]

98.0

75.8

78.5

93.1

7.6

99.2

a2, angle, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

110.0

110.3

110.5

108.6

0.9

114.3

a2, k, [#1:1]-[#6X4:2]-[#1:3]

65.0

85.2

86.0

64.7

9.9

66.6

X2 values

 

1.174437e+00

1.016303e+00

1.800063e-01