Parametrization of a Reactive Force Field (ReaxFF) for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Si Nanoparticles

A novel computational approach, based on classical reactive molecular dynamics simulations (RMD) and quantum chemistry (QC) global energy optimizations, is proposed for modeling large Si nanoparticles. The force field parameters, which can describe bond breaking and formation, are derived by reproducing energetic and structural properties of a set of Si clusters increasing in size. These reference models are obtained through a new protocol based on a joint high temperature RMD/low temperature Basin Hopping QC search. The different procedures of estimating optimal force field parameters and their performance are discussed in detail.