Determination of a silane intermolecular force field potential model from an ab initio calculation

Intermolecular interaction potentials of the silane dimer in 12 orientations have been calculated by using the Hartree-Fock (HF) self-consistent theory and the second-order Moeller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory. We employed basis sets from Pople's medium-size basis sets [up to 6-311++G(3df, 3pd)] and Dunning's correlation consistent basis sets (up to the triply augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple-zeta basis set). We found that the minimum energy orientations were the G and H conformers. We have suggested that the Si-H attractions, the central silicon atom size, and electronegativity play essential roles in weakly binding of a silane dimer. The calculated MP2 potential data were employed to parametrize a five-site force field for molecular simulations. The Si-Si, Si-H, and H-H interaction parameters in a pairwise-additive, site-site potential model for silane molecules were regressed from the ab initio energies.