Properties of $α$-Brass Nanoparticles I: Neural Network Potential Energy Surface

Binary metal clusters are of high interest for applications in heterogeneous catalysis and have received much attention in recent years. To gain insights into their structure and composition at the atomic scale, computer simulations can provide valuable information if reliable interatomic potentials are available. In this paper we describe the construction of a high-dimensional neural network potential (HDNNP) intended for simulations of large brass nanoparticles with thousands of atoms, which is also applicable to bulk $α$-brass and its surfaces. The HDNNP, which is based on reference data obtained from density-functional theory calculations, is very accurate with a root mean square error of 1.7 meV/atom for total energies and 39 meV/Å for the forces of structures not included in the training set. The potential has been thoroughly validated for a wide range of energetic and structural properties of bulk $α$-brass, its surfaces as well as clusters of different size and composition demonstrating its suitability for large-scale molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations with first principles accuracy.

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