Accurate Force Field Development for Modeling Conjugated Polymers

The modeling of the conformational properties of conjugated polymers entails a unique challenge for classical force fields. Conjugation imposes strong constraints upon bond rotation. Planar configurations are favored, but the concomitantly shortened bond lengths result in moieties being brought into closer proximity than usual. The ensuing steric repulsions are particularly severe in the presence of side chains, straining angles, and stretching bonds to a degree infrequently found in nonconjugated systems. We herein demonstrate the resulting inaccuracies by comparing the LMP2-calculated inter-ring torsion potentials for a series of substituted stilbenes and bithiophenes to those calculated using standard classical force fields. We then implement adjustments to the OPLS-2005 force field in order to improve its ability to model such systems. Finally, we show the impact of these changes on the dihedral angle distributions, persistence lengths, and conjugation length distributions observed during molecular dynamics simulations of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) and poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT), two of the most widely used conjugated polymers.