Mark E. Tuckerman

Nosé has derived a set of dynamical equations that can be shown to give canonically distributed positions and momenta provided the phase space average can be taken into the trajectory average, i.e., the system is ergodic [S. Nosé, J. Chem. Phys. 81, 511 (1984), W. G. Hoover, Phys. Rev. A 31, 1695 (1985)]. Unfortunately, the Nosé–Hoover dynamics is not ergodic for small or stiff systems. Here a modification of the dynamics is proposed which includes not a single thermostat variable but a chain of variables, Nosé–Hoover chains. The ‘‘new’’ dynamics gives the canonical distribution where the simple formalism fails. In addition, the new method is easier to use than an extension [D. Kusnezov, A. Bulgac, and W. Bauer, Ann. Phys. 204, 155 (1990)] which also gives the canonical distribution for stiff cases.

The Trotter factorization of the Liouville propagator is used to generate new reversible molecular dynamics integrators. This strategy is applied to derive reversible reference system propagator algorithms (RESPA) that greatly accelerate simulations of systems with a separation of time scales or with long range forces. The new algorithms have all of the advantages of previous RESPA integrators but are reversible, and more stable than those methods. These methods are applied to a set of paradigmatic systems and are shown to be superior to earlier methods. It is shown how the new RESPA methods are related to predictor–corrector integrators. Finally, we show how these methods can be used to accelerate the integration of the equations of motion of systems with Nosé thermostats.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are an emerging class of mixtures characterized by significant depressions in melting points compared to those of the neat constituent components. These materials are promising for applications as inexpensive "designer" solvents exhibiting a host of tunable physicochemical properties. A detailed review of the current literature reveals the lack of predictive understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that govern the structure-property relationships in this class of solvents. Complex hydrogen bonding is postulated as the root cause of their melting point depressions and physicochemical properties; to understand these hydrogen bonded networks, it is imperative to study these systems as dynamic entities using both simulations and experiments. This review emphasizes recent research efforts in order to elucidate the next steps needed to develop a fundamental framework needed for a deeper understanding of DESs. It covers recent developments in DES research, frames outstanding scientific questions, and identifies promising research thrusts aligned with the advancement of the field toward predictive models and fundamental understanding of these solvents.

Explicit reversible integrators, suitable for use in large-scale computer simulations, are derived for extended systems generating the canonical and isothermal-isobaric ensembles. The new methods are compared with the standard implicit (iterative) integrators on some illustrative example problems. In addition, modification of the proposed algorithms for multiple time step integration is outlined.