Free energy profiles for chemical reactions in solution from high-dimensional neural network potentials: The case of the Strecker synthesis

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Main Authors: Tokita, Alea Miako, Devergne, Timothée, Saitta, A. Marco, Behler, Jörg
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Tokita, Alea Miako
Devergne, Timothée
Saitta, A. Marco
Behler, Jörg
author_facet Tokita, Alea Miako
Devergne, Timothée
Saitta, A. Marco
Behler, Jörg
contents Machine learning potentials (MLPs) have become a popular tool in chemistry and materials science as they combine the accuracy of electronic structure calculations with the high computational efficiency of analytic potentials. MLPs are particularly useful for computationally demanding simulations such as the determination of free energy profiles governing chemical reactions in solution, but to date such applications are still rare. In this work we show how umbrella sampling simulations can be combined with active learning of high-dimensional neural network potentials (HDNNPs) to construct free energy profiles in a systematic way. For the example of the first step of Strecker synthesis of glycine in aqueous solution we provide a detailed analysis of the improving quality of HDNNPs for datasets of increasing size. We find that next to the typical quantification of energy and force errors with respect to the underlying density functional theory data also the long-term stability of the simulations and the convergence of physical properties should be rigorously monitored to obtain reliable and converged free energy profiles of chemical reactions in solution.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_05370
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Free energy profiles for chemical reactions in solution from high-dimensional neural network potentials: The case of the Strecker synthesis
Tokita, Alea Miako
Devergne, Timothée
Saitta, A. Marco
Behler, Jörg
Chemical Physics
Machine learning potentials (MLPs) have become a popular tool in chemistry and materials science as they combine the accuracy of electronic structure calculations with the high computational efficiency of analytic potentials. MLPs are particularly useful for computationally demanding simulations such as the determination of free energy profiles governing chemical reactions in solution, but to date such applications are still rare. In this work we show how umbrella sampling simulations can be combined with active learning of high-dimensional neural network potentials (HDNNPs) to construct free energy profiles in a systematic way. For the example of the first step of Strecker synthesis of glycine in aqueous solution we provide a detailed analysis of the improving quality of HDNNPs for datasets of increasing size. We find that next to the typical quantification of energy and force errors with respect to the underlying density functional theory data also the long-term stability of the simulations and the convergence of physical properties should be rigorously monitored to obtain reliable and converged free energy profiles of chemical reactions in solution.
title Free energy profiles for chemical reactions in solution from high-dimensional neural network potentials: The case of the Strecker synthesis
topic Chemical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.05370