A Gradient-Corrected Polarizable Continuum Model for Improved Reaction Fields at the SCF Level

Abstract

We propose an improved model, termed the gradient-corrected PCM (GCPCM), for improving the energy accuracy of the polarizable continuum model (PCM). Our previous study revealed deficiencies of PCM in describing the reaction field, i.e., the electrostatic potential generated by the solvent. These deficiencies can be partially alleviated by introducing an empirical correction to the solvent charges. As a result, solute–solvent interactions are improved at the self-consistent field level, leading to enhanced energy accuracy. The performance of GCPCM was evaluated through single-point calculations and geometry optimizations of phenol and phenolate, calculations of the free energy profile for proton transfer in glycine, and analysis of solvent responses of the HOMO and LUMO orbital energies of Brooker’s merocyanine. The results demonstrate that the characteristic destabilization of charged solutes observed in conventional PCM is effectively resolved. Furthermore, despite having a computational cost comparable to that of PCM, GCPCM shows the potential to achieve an energy accuracy similar to that of 3D-RISM-SCF. The development of GCPCM enables more convenient and accurate treatment of solvation effects, which is expected to allow researchers to focus on other important challenges, such as the accurate description of electronic states.