This collection explores the fascinating intersection where the laws of physics meet the complex machinery of chemistry. Here, researchers investigate how quantum mechanics governs molecular bonds, how light interacts with matter at the atomic scale, and how fundamental forces shape chemical reactions. It is a realm where abstract mathematical models collide with tangible substances to reveal the hidden mechanisms driving our material world.

On Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from arXiv to make these discoveries accessible to everyone. Whether you are a seasoned expert or a curious reader, you will find both plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries for each paper. Below are the latest contributions from the community pushing the boundaries of physical chemistry.

Surface mechanisms governing long-term stability of GEM detectors in CO2_2-based gaseous mixtures

This study utilizes NAP-XPS and Raman spectroscopy to demonstrate that CO2_2-based mixtures promote the formation of stable, thin inorganic copper oxide layers on GEM electrodes through mild redox equilibria, thereby offering a mechanism for enhanced long-term detector stability compared to hydrocarbon-based systems.

Tiago F. Silva, Thiago B. Saramela, Willian W. R. A. da Silva, Camilla de S. Codeço, Maria do C. M. Alves, Jonder Morais, Niklaus U. Wetter, Anderson Z. de Freitas2026-04-09🔬 physics.app-ph

Projector, Neural, and Tensor-Network Representations of ZN\mathbb{Z}_N Cluster and Dipolar-cluster SPT States

This paper presents a unified framework for expressing ZN\mathbb{Z}_N cluster and dipolar-cluster symmetry-protected topological states through projector, neural, and tensor-network representations, deriving closed-form weight functions and demonstrating that tensor product states offer a potentially more efficient description for modulated SPT phases than conventional matrix product states.

Seungho Lee, Daesik Kim, Hyun-Yong Lee, Jung Hoon Han2026-04-09🔬 cond-mat

A Massively Scalable Ligand-Protein Dissociation Dynamic Database Derived from Atomistic Molecular Modelling

This paper introduces DD-03B, a massive 40 TB database containing 0.3 billion all-atom dissociation trajectories for over 19,000 ligand-protein complexes, which establishes a foundational resource for training AI models to predict drug-protein kinetics by categorizing interaction mechanisms and providing computed dissociation rates for systems lacking experimental data.

Maodong Li, Dechin Chen, Zhijun Pan, Zhe Wang, Yi Isaac Yang2026-04-09🔬 physics

Spin-adapted neural network backflow for strongly correlated electrons

The paper introduces a spin-adapted neural network backflow (SA-NNBF) ansatz that enforces strict spin symmetry through a tensor-compressed sum-of-products spin eigenfunction and particle-hole duality, enabling highly accurate and efficient variational Monte Carlo simulations of strongly correlated systems like the FeMoco cofactor that outperform existing state-of-the-art methods.

Yunzhi Li, Zibo Wu, Bohan Zhang, Wei-Hai Fang, Zhendong Li2026-04-09🔬 physics

Development of ab initio Hubbard parameter calculation schemes in the k-point sampling real-time TDDFT program in CP2K

This paper presents the implementation of ab initio Hubbard parameter calculation schemes, including a novel linear-response method for energy-dependent parameters, within CP2K's k-point sampling real-time TDDFT program, highlighting the distinct theoretical advantages and dynamical applications of this approach compared to the ACBN0 scheme.

Kota Hanasaki, Sandra Luber2026-04-09🔬 cond-mat

Self-consistent Hessian-level meta-generalized gradient approximation

This paper introduces a self-consistent, non-empirical Hessian-level meta-generalized gradient approximation functional (ϑ\vartheta-PBE) that utilizes full density second derivatives to distinguish between atomic and bonding limits, demonstrating accurate chemisorption and molecular properties while highlighting remaining challenges in predicting bulk lattice constants.

Pooria Dabbaghi, Juan Maria García Lastra, Piotr de Silva2026-04-09🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Explicit Electric Potential-Embedded Machine Learning Framework: A Unified Description from Atomic to Electronic Scales

This paper proposes a unified machine learning framework integrating Potential-Embedded MACE and Potential-Embedded Electron Density Prediction to simultaneously and accurately simulate atomic forces and electron density distributions across arbitrary electric potentials, enabling large-scale studies of electrochemical interfaces like the Pt(111)/water system.

Jingwen Zhou, Yawen Yu, Xuwei Liu, Chungen Liu2026-04-09🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Extended phase-space symplectic integration for electron dynamics

This paper investigates and establishes the extension procedures, stability conditions, and accuracy metrics for applying extended phase-space symplectic integration to simulate both classical electron dynamics in turbulent magnetic fields and quantum Kohn-Sham time-dependent density-functional theory, thereby paving the way for its broad application across systems with finite and infinite degrees of freedom.

Francois Mauger, Cristel Chandre2026-04-08🔬 physics