Theoretical study of light-metal tetrahydroborates

Ab initio calculations of the structural, energetic, vibrational, and magnetic characteristics of the lowest-lying structures for isolated molecules and ions of light-metal tetrahydroborates (Li, Na, Be, Mg, and Al) have been performed by the perturbation theory (MP2), quadratic configuration interaction (QCISD(T)), coupled cluster (CCSD(T)), and density functional theory (B3LYP) methods using the 6-31G*, 6-31G**, 6-311+G**, and 6-311++G** basis sets. The trends in the behavior of the structural parameters, the energies of different decomposition pathways, barriers to internal rotation of BH₄ groups, normal mode frequencies, magnetic shielding constants, and spin density distribution (in radicals) have been analyzed in various related series of these compounds. The results obtained by ab initio methods and at the DFT level are compared. The economical approximation B3LYP/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-311+G** adequately reproduces the results obtained at the higher level of theory CCSD(T)/6-311++G*s*//MP2/6-31G* even though it requires considerably shorter CPU times and smaller amounts of memory.