A molecular dynamics study of liquid methanol with a flexible three-site model

A new potential is presented which describes the methanol-methanol interactions on the basis of a flexible three-site model. The intramolecular part of the potential has been derived from spectroscopic data. A molecular dynamics study has been performed with this potential at 286 K. The structural properties of liquid methanol calculated from the simulations are in good agreement with X-ray measurements. The average geometrical arrangement of nearest neighbors and their hydrogen bonding are discussed. The potential describes correctly the gas-liquid frequency shifts of the intramolecular vibrations. Several thermodynamic properties calculated from the simulation compare favorably with experimental results.