Ab initio and analytic intermolecular potentials for Ar-CH(3)OH

Ab initio calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory were used to characterize the Ar-CH(3)OH intermolecular potential energy surface (PES). Potential energy curves were calculated for four different Ar + CH(3)OH orientations and used to derive an analytic function for the intermolecular PES. A sum of Ar-C, Ar-O, Ar-H(C), and Ar-H(O) two-body potentials gives an excellent fit to these potential energy curves up to 100 kcal mol(-1), and adding an additional r(-n) term to the Buckingham two-body potential results in only a minor improvement in the fit. Three Ar-CH(3)OH van der Waals minima were found from the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations. The structure of the global minimum is in overall good agreement with experiment (X.-C. Tan, L. Sun and R. L. Kuczkowski, J. Mol. Spectrosc., 1995, 171, 248). It is T-shaped with the hydroxyl H-atom syn with respect to Ar. Extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit, the global minimum has a well depth of 0.72 kcal mol(-1) with basis set superposition error (BSSE) correction. The aug-cc-pVTZ basis set gives a well depth only 0.10 kcal mol(-1) smaller than this value. The well depths of the other two minima are within 0.16 kcal mol(-1) of the global minimum. The analytic Ar-CH(3)OH intermolecular potential also identifies these three minima as the only van der Waals minima and the structures predicted by the analytic potential are similar to the ab initio structures. The analytic potential identifies the same global minimum and the predicted well depths for the minima are within 0.05 kcal mol(-1) of the ab initio values. Combining this Ar-CH(3)OH intermolecular potential with a potential for a OH-terminated alkylthiolate self-assembled monolayer surface (i.e., HO-SAM) provides a potential to model Ar + HO-SAM collisions.     

State of the art theoretical study and comparison to experiment for the phenol...argon complex

The phenol...argon complex was studied by means of various high level ab initio quantum mechanics methods and high resolution threshold ionization spectroscopy. The structure and stabilization energy of different conformers were determined. Stabilization energy of van der Waals bonded and H-bonded PhOH...Ar complex determined at CCSD(T) complete basis set (CBS) level for CP-RI-MP2/cc-pVTZ/Ar aug-cc-pVTZ geometries amount to 434 and 285 cm(-1). The CCSD(T)/CBS were constructed either as a sum of MP2/CBS interaction energy and CCSD(T) correction term [difference between CCSD(T) and MP2 correlation energies determined with medium basis set] or directly from CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ energies. Both schemes provide very similar values. Harmonic vibrational analysis revealed that the H-bonded structure does not represent energy minimum but first order transition structure. The respective imaginary vibrational mode (16 cm(-1)) connects two possible argon locations -- above and below the phenol aromatic ring. Including the DeltaZPVE, we obtained stabilization enthalpy at 0 K of 389 cm(-1). This value is marginally higher (25-35 cm(-1), 0.07-0.10 kcal/mol) than the experimental value. The determination of DeltaZPVE constitutes the most significant error and possible improvements should come from more accurate evaluation of the (nonharmonic) vibrational frequencies.     

Potential-energy surface for the electronic ground state of NH3 up to 20,000 cm-1 above equilibrium

Ab initio coupled cluster calculations with single and double substitutions and a perturbative treatment of connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)] with the augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence triple-zeta aug-cc-pVTZ basis at 51 816 geometries provide a six-dimensional potential-energy surface for the electronic ground state of NH3. At 3814 selected geometries, CBS+ energies are obtained by extrapolating the CCSD(T) results for the aug-cc-pVXZ(X=T,Q,5) basis sets to the complete basis set (CBS) limit and adding corrections for core-valence correlation and relativistic effects. CBS** ab initio energies are generated at 51,816 geometries by an empirical extrapolation of the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ results to the CBS+ limit. They cover the energy region up to 20,000 cm-1 above equilibrium. Parametrized analytical functions are fitted through the ab initio points. For these analytical surfaces, vibrational term values and transition moments are calculated by means of a variational program employing a kinetic-energy operator expressed in the Eckart-Sayvetz frame. Comparisons against experiment are used to assess the quality of the generated potential-energy surfaces. A "spectroscopic" potential-energy surface of NH3 is determined by a slight empirical adjustment of the ab initio potential to the experimental vibrational term values. Variational calculations on this refined surface yield rms deviations from experiment of 0.8 cm-1 for 24 inversion splittings and 0.4 (3.0) cm-1 for 34 (51) vibrational term values up to 6100 (10,300) cm-1.     

Intermolecular potential to represent collisions of protonated peptide ions with fluorinated alkane surfaces

The MP2/6-311++G(2df,2pd) level of theory was used to calculate intermolecular potential curves between CF(4), as a model for the C and F atoms of a fluorinated alkane surface, and CH(4), NH(3), NH(4)(+), H(2)CO, and H(2)O as models for different types of atoms and functional groups comprising protonated peptide ions. This level of theory was tested by comparisons with the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ and CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ theories. Explicit-atom (EA) analytic potential energy functions were then derived by fitting these potential energy curves with two-body potentials between the atoms of the two interacting molecules. An intermolecular potential for the interaction of a protonated peptide ion with a fluorinated alkane surface may be constructed from these two-body potentials. Intermolecular potentials, for which CF(4) is treated as a united atom (UA), were developed by isotropically averaging the CF(4) orientation for each of the EA potential energy curves. The intermolecular potential energy curves calculated for CF(4) are compared with curves calculated previously for CH(4) interacting with the same molecules, to consider the relative efficiency of energy transfer for protonated peptide ion collisions with hydrogenated and fluorinated alkane surfaces.     

Explicit correlation and basis set superposition error: the structure and energy of carbon dioxide dimer

We have investigated the slipped parallel and t-shaped structures of carbon dioxide dimer [(CO(2))(2)] using both conventional and explicitly correlated coupled cluster methods, inclusive and exclusive of counterpoise (CP) correction. We have determined the geometry of both structures with conventional coupled cluster singles doubles and perturbative triples theory [CCSD(T)] and explicitly correlated cluster singles doubles and perturbative triples theory [CCSD(T)-F12b] at the complete basis set (CBS) limits using custom optimization routines. Consistent with previous investigations, we find that the slipped parallel structure corresponds to the global minimum and is 1.09 kJ mol(-1) lower in energy. For a given cardinal number, the optimized geometries and interaction energies of (CO(2))(2) obtained with the explicitly correlated CCSD(T)-F12b method are closer to the CBS limit than the corresponding conventional CCSD(T) results. Furthermore, the magnitude of basis set superposition error (BSSE) in the CCSD(T)-F12b optimized geometries and interaction energies is appreciably smaller than the magnitude of BSSE in the conventional CCSD(T) results. We decompose the CCSD(T) and CCSD(T)-F12b interaction energies into the constituent HF or HF CABS, CCSD or CCSD-F12b, and (T) contributions. We find that the complementary auxiliary basis set (CABS) singles correction and the F12b approximation significantly reduce the magnitude of BSSE at the HF and CCSD levels of theory, respectively. For a given cardinal number, we find that non-CP corrected, unscaled triples CCSD(T)-F12b/VXZ-F12 interaction energies are in overall best agreement with the CBS limit.     

Accurate ab initio binding energies of alkaline earth metal clusters

The effects of basis set superposition error (BSSE) and core-correlation on the electronic binding energies of alkaline earth metal clusters Y(n) (Y = Be, Mg, Ca; n = 2-4) at the Moller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2) and the single and double coupled cluster method with perturbative triples correction (CCSD(T)) levels are examined using the correlation consistent basis sets cc-pVXZ and cc-pCVXZ (X = D, T, Q, 5). It is found that, while BSSE has a negligible effect for valence-electron-only-correlated calculations for most basis sets, its magnitude becomes more pronounced for all-electron-correlated calculations, including core electrons. By utilizing the negligible effect of BSSE on the binding energies for valence-electron-only-correlated calculations, in combination with the negligible core-correlation effect at the CCSD(T) level, accurate binding energies of these clusters up to pentamers (octamers in the case of the Be clusters) are estimated via the basis set extrapolation of ab initio CCSD(T) correlation energies of the monomer and cluster with only the cc-pVDZ and cc-pVTZ sets, using the basis set and correlation-dependent extrapolation formula recently devised. A comparison between the CCSD(T) and density functional theory (DFT) binding energies is made to identify the most appropriate DFT method for the study of these clusters.     

Basis set convergence of the coupled-cluster correction, δ(MP2)(CCSD(T)): best practices for benchmarking non-covalent interactions and the attendant revision of the S22, NBC10, HBC6, and HSG databases

In benchmark-quality studies of non-covalent interactions, it is common to estimate interaction energies at the complete basis set (CBS) coupled-cluster through perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] level of theory by adding to CBS second-order perturbation theory (MP2) a "coupled-cluster correction," δ(MP2)(CCSD(T)), evaluated in a modest basis set. This work illustrates that commonly used basis sets such as 6-31G*(0.25) can yield large, even wrongly signed, errors for δ(MP2)(CCSD(T)) that vary significantly by binding motif. Double-ζ basis sets show more reliable results when used with explicitly correlated methods to form a δ(MP2-F12)(CCSD(T(*))-F12) correction, yielding a mean absolute deviation of 0.11 kcal mol(-1) for the S22 test set. Examining the coupled-cluster correction for basis sets up to sextuple-ζ in quality reveals that δ(MP2)(CCSD(T)) converges monotonically only beyond a turning point at triple-ζ or quadruple-ζ quality. In consequence, CBS extrapolation of δ(MP2)(CCSD(T)) corrections before the turning point, generally CBS (aug-cc-pVDZ,aug-cc-pVTZ), are found to be unreliable and often inferior to aug-cc-pVTZ alone, especially for hydrogen-bonding systems. Using the findings of this paper, we revise some recent benchmarks for non-covalent interactions, namely the S22, NBC10, HBC6, and HSG test sets. The maximum differences in the revised benchmarks are 0.080, 0.060, 0.257, and 0.102 kcal mol(-1), respectively.     

Accurate ab initio predictions of ionization energies of hydrocarbon radicals: CH2, CH3, C2H, C2H3, C2H5, C3H3, and C3H5

The ionization energies for methylene (CH2), methyl (CH3), ethynyl (C2H), vinyl (C2H3), ethyl (C2H5), propargyl (C3H3), and allyl (C3H5) radicals have been calculated by the wave-function-based ab initio CCSD(T)/CBS approach, which involves the approximation to the complete basis set (CBS) limit at the coupled-cluster level with single and double excitations plus a quasiperturbative triple excitation [CCSD(T)]. When it is appropriate, the zero-point vibrational energy correction, the core-valence electronic correction, the scalar relativistic effect correction, the diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction, and the high-order correlation correction have also been made in these calculations. The comparison between the computed ionization energy (IE) values and the highly precise experimental IE values determined in previous pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (PFI-PE) studies indicates that the CCSD(T)/CBS method is capable of providing accurate IE predictions for these hydrocarbon radicals achieving error limits well within +/-10 meV. The benchmarking of the CCSD(T)/CBS IE predictions by the PFI-PE experimental results also lends strong support for the conclusion that the CCSD(T)/CBS approach with high-level energy corrections can serve as a valuable alternative for reliable IE determination of radicals, particularly for those radicals with very unfavorable Franck-Condon factors for photoionization transitions near their ionization thresholds.     

Ab initio calculations on halogen-bonded complexes and comparison with density functional methods

A systematic theoretical investigation on a series of dimeric complexes formed between some halocarbon molecules and electron donors has been carried out by employing both ab initio and density functional methods. Full geometry optimizations are performed at the Moller-Plesset second-order perturbation (MP2) level of theory with the Dunning's correlation-consistent basis set, aug-cc-pVDZ. Binding energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit by means of two most commonly used extrapolation methods and the aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, Q) basis sets series. The coupled cluster with single, double, and noniterative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] correction term, determined as a difference between CCSD(T) and MP2 binding energies, is estimated with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. In general, the inclusion of higher-order electron correlation effects leads to a repulsive correction with respect to those predicted at the MP2 level. The calculations described herein have shown that the CCSD(T) CBS limits yield binding energies with a range of -0.89 to -4.38 kcal/mol for the halogen-bonded complexes under study. The performance of several density functional theory (DFT) methods has been evaluated comparing the results with those obtained from MP2 and CCSD(T). It is shown that PBEKCIS, B97-1, and MPWLYP functionals provide accuracies close to the computationally very expensive ab initio methods.     

Benchmark database of accurate (MP2 and CCSD(T) complete basis set limit) interaction energies of small model complexes, DNA base pairs, and amino acid pairs

MP2 and CCSD(T) complete basis set (CBS) limit interaction energies and geometries for more than 100 DNA base pairs, amino acid pairs and model complexes are for the first time presented together. Extrapolation to the CBS limit is done by using two-point extrapolation methods and different basis sets (aug-cc-pVDZ - aug-cc-pVTZ, aug-cc-pVTZ - aug-cc-pVQZ, cc-pVTZ - cc-pVQZ) are utilized. The CCSD(T) correction term, determined as a difference between CCSD(T) and MP2 interaction energies, is evaluated with smaller basis sets (6-31G** and cc-pVDZ). Two sets of complex geometries were used, optimized or experimental ones. The JSCH-2005 benchmark set, which is now available to the chemical community, can be used for testing lower-level computational methods. For the first screening the smaller training set (S22) containing 22 model complexes can be recommended. In this case larger basis sets were used for extrapolation to the CBS limit and also CCSD(T) and counterpoise-corrected MP2 optimized geometries were sometimes adopted.     

Toward a less costly but accurate calculation of the CCSD(T)/CBS noncovalent interaction energy

The popular method of calculating the noncovalent interaction energies at the coupled-cluster single-, double-, and perturbative triple-excitations [CCSD(T)] theory level in the complete basis set (CBS) limit was to add a CCSD(T) correction term to the CBS second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2). The CCSD(T) correction term is the difference between the CCSD(T) and MP2 interaction energies evaluated in a medium basis set. However, the CCSD(T) calculations with the medium basis sets are still very expensive for systems with more than 30 atoms. Comparatively, the domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled-cluster method [DLPNO-CCSD(T)] can be applied to large systems with over 1,000 atoms. Considering both the computational accuracy and efficiency, in this work, we propose a new scheme to calculate the CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energies. In this scheme, the MP2/CBS term keeps intact and the CCSD(T) correction term is replaced by a DLPNO-CCSD(T) correction term which is the difference between the DLPNO-CCSD(T) and DLPNO-MP2 interaction energies evaluated in a medium basis set. The interaction energies of the noncovalent systems in the S22, HSG, HBC6, NBC10, and S66 databases were recalculated employing this new scheme. The consistent and tight settings of the truncation parameters for DLPNO-CCSD(T) and DLPNO-MP2 in this noncanonical CCSD(T)/CBS calculations lead to the maximum absolute deviation and root-mean-square deviation from the canonical CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energies of less than or equal to 0.28 kcal/mol and 0.09 kcal/mol, respectively. The high accuracy and low cost of this new computational scheme make it an excellent candidate for the study of large noncovalent systems.     

An ab initio benchmark study of hydrogen bonded formamide dimers

The five singly and doubly hydrogen bonded dimers of formamide are calculated at the correlated level by using resolution of identity M?ller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (RIMP2) and the coupled cluster with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] method. All structures are optimized with the Dunning aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets. The binding energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit by using the aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, Q) basis set series. The effect of extending the basis set to aug-cc-pV5Z on the geometries and binding energies is studied for the centrosymmetric doubly N-H...O bonded dimer FA1 and the doubly C-H...O bonded dimer FA5. The MP2 CBS limits range from -5.19 kcal/mol for FA5 to -14.80 kcal/mol for the FA1 dimer. The DeltaCCSD(T) corrections to the MP2 CBS limit binding energies calculated with the 6-31+G(d,p), aug-cc-pVDZ, and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets are mutually consistent to within < or =0.03 kcal/mol. The DeltaCCSD(T) correction increases the binding energy of the C-H...O bonded FA5 dimer by 0.4 kcal/mol or approximately 9% over the distance range +/-0.5 Angstrom relative to the potential minimum. This implies that the ubiquitous long-range C-H...O interactions in proteins are stronger than hitherto calculated.     

Kinetic isotope effects for Cl + CH4 ⇌ HCl + CH3 calculated using ab initio semiclassical transition state theory

Calculations were carried out for 25 isotopologues of the title reaction for various combinations of (35)Cl, (37)Cl, (12)C, (13)C, (14)C, H, and D. The computed rate constants are based on harmonic vibrational frequencies calculated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory and X(ij) vibrational anharmonicity coefficients calculated at the CCSD(T) /aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. For some reactions, anharmonicity coefficients were also computed at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. The classical reaction barrier was taken from Eskola et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 2008, 112, 7391-7401], who extrapolated CCSD(T) calculations to the complete basis set limit. Rate constants were calculated for temperatures from ～100 to ～2000 K. The computed ab initio rate constant for the normal isotopologue is in good agreement with experiments over the entire temperature range (～10% lower than the recommended experimental value at 298 K). The ab initio H/D kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) for CH(3)D, CH(2)D(2), CHD(3), and CD(4) are in very good agreement with literature experimental data. The ab initio (12)C/(13)C KIE is in error by ～2% at 298 K for calculations using X(ij) coefficients computed with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set, but the error is reduced to ～1% when X(ij) coefficients computed with the larger aug-cc-pVTZ basis set are used. Systematic improvements appear to be possible. The present SCTST results are found to be more accurate than those from other theoretical calculations. Overall, this is a very promising method for computing ab initio kinetic isotope effects.     

Stabilisation energy of C(6)H(6)...C(6)X(6) (X = F, Cl, Br, I, CN) complexes: complete basis set limit calculations at MP2 and CCSD(T) levels

Stabilisation energies of stacked structures of C(6)H(6)...C(6)X(6) (X = F, Cl, Br, CN) complexes were determined at the CCSD(T) complete basis set (CBS) limit level. These energies were constructed from MP2/CBS stabilisation energies and a CCSD(T) correction term determined with a medium basis set (6-31G**). The former energies were extrapolated using the two-point formula of Helgaker et al. from aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ Hartree-Fock energies and MP2 correlation energies. The CCSD(T) correction term is systematically repulsive. The final CCSD(T)/CBS stabilisation energies are large, considerably larger than previously calculated and increase in the series as follows: hexafluorobenzene (6.3 kcal mol(-1)), hexachlorobenzene (8.8 kcal mol(-1)), hexabromobenzene (8.1 kcal mol(-1)) and hexacyanobenzene (11.0 kcal mol(-1)). MP2/SDD** relativistic calculations performed for all complexes mentioned and also for benzene[dot dot dot]hexaiodobenzene have clearly shown that due to relativistic effects the stabilisation energy of the hexaiodobenzene complex is lower than that of hexabromobenzene complex. The decomposition of the total interaction energy to physically defined energy components was made by using the symmetry adapted perturbation treatment (SAPT). The main stabilisation contribution for all complexes investigated is due to London dispersion energy, with the induction term being smaller. Electrostatic and induction terms which are attractive are compensated by their exchange counterparts. The stacked motif in the complexes studied is very stable and might thus be valuable as a supramolecular synthon.     

Calculation of the O-H stretching vibrational overtone spectrum of the water dimer

The O-H stretching vibrational overtone spectrum of the water dimer has been calculated with the dimer modeled as two individually vibrating monomer units. Vibrational term values and absorption intensities have been obtained variationally with a computed dipole moment surface and an internal coordinate Hamiltonian, which consists of exact kinetic energy operators within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation of the monomer units. Three-dimensional ab initio potential energy and dipole moment surfaces have been calculated using the internal coordinates of the monomer units using the coupled cluster method including single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] with the augmented correlation consistent valence triple zeta basis set (aug-cc-pVTZ). The augmented correlation consistent valence quadruple zeta basis set (aug-cc-pVQZ), counterpoise correction, basis set extrapolation to the complete basis set limit, relativistic corrections, and core and valence electron correlations effects have been included in one-dimensional potential energy surface cuts. The aim is both to investigate the level of ab initio and vibrational calculations necessary to produce accurate results when compared with experiment and to aid the detection of the water dimer under atmospheric conditions.     

Ab initio and density functional theory reinvestigation of gas-phase sulfuric acid monohydrate and ammonium hydrogen sulfate

We have calculated the thermochemical parameters for the reactions H(2)SO(4) + H(2)O <--> H(2)SO(4).H(2)O and H(2)SO(4) + NH(3) <--> H(2)SO(4).NH(3) using the B3LYP and PW91 functionals, MP2 perturbation theory and four different basis sets. Different methods and basis sets yield very different results with respect to, for example, the reaction free energies. A large part, but not all, of these differences are caused by basis set superposition error (BSSE), which is on the order of 1-3 kcal mol(-1) for most method/basis set combinations used in previous studies. Complete basis set extrapolation (CBS) calculations using the cc-pV(X+d)Z and aug-cc-pV(X+d)Z basis sets (with X = D, T, Q) at the B3LYP level indicate that if BSSE errors of less than 0.2 kcal mol(-1) are desired in uncorrected calculations, basis sets of at least aug-cc-pV(T+d)Z quality should be used. The use of additional augmented basis functions is also shown to be important, as the BSSE error is significant for the nonaugmented basis sets even at the quadruple-zeta level. The effect of anharmonic corrections to the zero-point energies and thermal contributions to the free energy are shown to be around 0.4 kcal mol(-1) for the H(2)SO(4).H(2)O cluster at 298 K. Single-point CCSD(T) calculations for the H(2)SO(4).H(2)O cluster also indicate that B3LYP and MP2 calculations reproduce the CCSD(T) energies well, whereas the PW91 results are significantly overbinding. However, basis-set limit extrapolations at the CCSD(T) level indicate that the B3LYP binding energies are too low by ca. 1-2 kcal/mol. This probably explains the difference of about 2 kcal mol(-1) for the free energy of the H(2)SO(4) + H(2)O <--> H(2)SO(4).H(2)O reaction between the counterpoise-corrected B3LYP calculations with large basis sets and the diffusion-based experimental values of S. M. Ball, D. R. Hanson, F. L Eisele and P. H. McMurry (J. Phys. Chem. A. 2000, 104, 1715). Topological analysis of the electronic charge density based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) shows that different method/basis set combinations lead to qualitatively different bonding patterns for the H(2)SO(4).NH(3) cluster. Using QTAIM analysis, we have also defined a proton transfer degree parameter which may be useful in further studies.     

Ab initio study of substituent effects in the interactions of dimethyl ether with aromatic rings

Ab initio calculations have been used to investigate the interaction energies of dimers of dimethyl ether with benzene, hexafluorobenzene, and several monosubstituted benzenes. The potential energy curves were explored at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level for two basic configurations of the dimers, one in which the oxygen atom of the dimethyl ether was pointed towards the aromatic ring and the other in which the oxygen atom was pointed away from the aromatic ring. Once the optimum intermolecular distances between the dimethyl and the aromatic ring had been determined for each of the dimers in both configurations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level, single point energy calculations were performed at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. A CCSD(T) correction term to the energy was determined and this was combined with the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ energies to estimate the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ interaction energies of the dimers. The estimated CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ interaction energies are predicted to be attractive for all of the dimers in both configurations and dispersion interactions are found to be a large component of the stabilization of the dimers. For the dimers with the dimethyl ether oxygen pointing towards the aromatic ring, the strengths of interaction energies are found to increase as the aromatic ring becomes more electron deficient, while for the dimers with the dimethyl ether oxygen pointing away from the aromatic ring, they increase as the aromatic ring becomes more electron rich. In both cases, the trends can be explained in terms of the electrostatic potentials of the dimethyl ether and the aromatic rings.     

Ab initio MO study on the global minimum structure of C3H3 anion: propynl-1-yl versus allenyl anions

The geometrical structures of the C₃H⁻₃ anion are surveyed at the coupled-cluster doubles (CCD) level of theory with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. To clarify the CCD geometries, the stable two isomers -- propynl-l-yl 1 and allenyl 2 anions -- are further optimized at the coupled-cluster singles, doubles (triples) (CCSD(T)) level of theory both with the aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The final energies are calculated at the CCSD(T) and the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) multi-reference internally contracted CI (MRCI) levels of theory with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. At the MRCI level of theory including both the corrections due to the cluster energies (MRCI+Q) and the zero-point vibrational energies, the allenyl anion 2 is about 1.3 kcal mol⁻¹ lower in energy than the propynl-l-yl anion 1. These results contrast with the previous theoretical estimates, where the propynl-l-yl anion 1 is 2-3 kcal mol⁻¹ lower in energy than the allenyl anion 2. The activation energies of the intramolecular hydrogen transfer in the 1 → 2 conversion reactions are 63.5 kcal mol⁻¹ at the MRCI+Q level of theory with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set including the zero-point energy corrections. The adiabatic electron affinity of the planer propargyl (H₂CCCH) radical, which is the global minimum of the C₃H₃ radical, is calculated to be 0.976 eV (after correction for the zero-point energy changes) at the CCSD(T) level of theory with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. The present electron affinity is in fairly good agreement with the experimental one (0.893 eV) observed by Oakes and Ellison.