Transferability of topologically partitioned polarizabilities: the case of n-alkanes

Abstract

Distributed polarizabilities of a series of n-alkanes C _n H_2n+2 (n = 2-7) in various conformations have been determined using Bader's topological theory of atoms in molecules. Using an appropriate localization scheme, a simple distributed model is constructed, where the methyl and methylene groups are characterized by their dipole polarizability tensors in local frames, and all charge flow polarizabilities between them are retained. A set of average polarizability parameters is proposed that takes into account the local environment of the methyl and methylene groups, and that not only reproduces the polarizability tensor for any member of the n-alkane series in an arbitrary conformation, but also is suitable for the calculation of induction energies.