De novo structural prediction of transition metal complexes: application to technetium

De novo structural prediction of transition metal complexes is investigated. Technetium complexes are chosen given their importance in medical imaging and nuclear waste remediation and for the chemical diversity they display. A new conformational searching algorithm (LIGB) for transition metals is described that allows one to search for different conformational and geometric isomers within a single simulation. In the preponderance of cases, both conformational searching techniques (LIGB and high-temperature molecular dynamics/simulated annealing) provide comparable results, while LIGB is superior for macrocyclic complexes. A genetic algorithm-optimized PM3(tm) parametrization for Tc is compared with the standard implementation and found to yield a significant improvement in predictive ability for the most prevalent Tc structural motifs. The utility of a coupled molecular mechanics-semiempirical quantum mechanics protocol is demonstrated for very rapid, efficient, and effective de novo prediction of transition metal complex geometries.