Polarizable Force Field with a σ‑Hole for Liquid and Aqueous Bromomethane

Bromomethane (CH3Br) is an acutely toxic environmental pollutant that contributes to ozone depletion. Molecular simulation could be a valuable tool for studying its partitioning and transport in the environment if an accurate molecular model was available. The generalized Amber force field (GAFF), OPLS (optimized potentials for liquid simulations) force field, and CHARMM general force field (CGenFF) were tested for their ability to model the physical properties of liquid bromomethane. The OPLS force field was in fairly good agreement with experiment, while CGenFF and GAFF were significantly in error. The Br Lennard-Jones parameters of the GAFF and CGenFF models were reparameterized, but their radial distribution functions still have significant deviations from those calculated by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD). A Drude polarizable force field for bromomethane was parametrized with an off-center positively charged site to represent the C–Br σ-hole. This model is in good agreement with the bulk physical properties and the AIMD RDFs. The modest solubility of bromomethane was reproduced by this model, with dispersion interactions being the dominant water–solute interaction. The water–solute electrostatic interactions are a smaller factor in solubility. This model predicts bromomethane to have a 13 kJ mol–1 surface excess potential at the water–vapor interface.