Bond additivity corrections for G3B3 and G3MP2B3 quantum chemistry methods

We have developed bond additivity correction (BAC) procedures for the G3-based quantum chemistry methods, G3B3 and G3MP2B3. We denote these procedures as BAC-G3B3 and BAC-G3MP2B3. We apply the procedures to compounds containing atoms from the first three rows of the periodic table including H, B, C, N, O, F, Al, Si, P, S, and Cl atoms. The BAC procedure applies atomic, molecular, and pairwise bond corrections to theoretical heats of formation of molecules. The BAC-G3B3 and BAC-G3MP2B3 procedures require parameters for each atom type but not for each bond type. These parameters have been obtained by minimizing the error between the BAC-G3B3 and BAC-G3MP2B3 predictions and the experimental heats of formation for a 155 molecule reference set, containing open and closed shell molecules representing various functional groups, multireference configurations, isomers, and degrees of saturation. As compared to former BAC-MP4, BAC-G2, and BAC-hybrid methods, BAC-G3B3 provides better agreement with experiment for a wider range of chemical moieties, including highly oxidized species involving SOx s, NOx s, POx s, and halogens. The BAC-G3B3 and BAC-G3MP2B3 procedures are applied to an extended test suite involving 273 compounds. We assess the overall quality of BAC-G3B3 with experiments and other theoretical approaches. For the reference set, the average error for the BAC-G3B3 results is 0.44 kcal/mol as compared to 0.82 kcal/mol for the raw G3B3. For the extended test set, the average error for the BAC-G3B3 results is 0.91 kcal/mol as compared to 1.38 kcal/mol for the raw G3B3. As compared to the other BAC procedures, the improved predictive capability of BAC-G3B3 and BAC-G3MP2B3 procedures is, to a large extent, due to the improved quality of G3-based methods resulting in much smaller BAC correction terms.     

Protonation of phenylboronic acid: Comparison of G3B3 and G2MP2 methods

G3B3 and G2MP2 calculations using Gaussian 03 have been carried out to investigate the protonation preferences for phenylboronic acid. All nine heavy atoms have been protonated in turn. With both methodologies, the two lowest protonation energies are obtained with the proton located either at the ipso carbon atom or at a hydroxyl oxygen atom. Within the G3B3 formalism, the lowest‐energy configuration by 4.3 kcal · mol^?1 is found when the proton is located at the ipso carbon, rather than at the electronegative oxygen atom. In the resulting structure, the phenyl ring has lost a significant amount of aromaticity. By contrast, calculations with G2MP2 show that protonation at the hydroxyl oxygen atom is favored by 7.7 kcal · mol^?1. Calculations using the polarizable continuum model (PCM) solvent method also give preference to protonation at the oxygen atom when water is used as the solvent. The preference for protonation at the ipso carbon found by the more accurate G3B3 method is unexpected and its implications in Suzuki coupling are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Thermochemical properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from G3MP2B3 calculations

In this article, we present a new database of thermodynamic properties for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These large aromatic species are formed in very rich premixed flames and in diffusion flames as part of the gas-phase chemistry. PAH are commonly assumed to be the intermediates leading to soot formation. Therefore, accurate prediction of their thermodynamic properties is required for modeling soot formation. The present database consists of 46 species ranging from benzene (C6H6) to coronene (C24H12) and includes all the species usually present in chemical mechanisms for soot formation. Geometric molecular structures are optimized at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory. Heat capacity, entropy, and energy content are calculated from these optimized structures. Corrections for hindered rotor are applied on the basis of torsional potentials obtained from second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation (MP2) and Dunning's consistent basis sets (cc-pVDZ). Enthalpies of formation are calculated using the mixed G3MP2//B3 method. Finally, a group correction is applied to account for systematic errors in the G3MP2//B3 computations. The thermodynamic properties for all species are available in NASA polynomial form at the following address: http://www.stanford.edu/group/pitsch/.     

Assessment of experimental bond dissociation energies using composite ab initio methods and evaluation of the performances of density functional methods in the calculation of bond dissociation energies

Composite ab initio CBS-Q and G3 methods were used to calculate the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of over 200 compounds listed in CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (2002 ed.). It was found that these two methods agree with each other excellently in the calculation of BDEs, and they can predict BDEs within 10 kJ/mol of the experimental values. Using these two methods, it was found that among the examined compounds 161 experimental BDEs are valid because the standard deviation between the experimental and theoretical values for them is only 8.6 kJ/mol. Nevertheless, 40 BDEs listed in the Handbook may be highly inaccurate as the experimental and theoretical values for them differ by over 20 kJ/mol. Furthermore, 11 BDEs listed in the Handbook may be seriously flawed as the experimental and theoretical values for them differ by over 40 kJ/mol. Using the 161 cautiously validated experimental BDEs, we then assessed the performances of the standard density functional (DFT) methods including B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91, and BH&HLYP in the calculation of BDEs. It was found that the BH&HLYP method performed poorly for the BDE calculations. B3LYP, B3P86, and B3PW91, however, performed reasonably well for the calculation of BDEs with standard deviations of about 12.1-18.0 kJ/mol. Nonetheless, all the DFT methods underestimated the BDEs by 4-17 kJ/mol in average. Sometimes, the underestimation by the DFT methods could be as high as 40-60 kJ/mol. Therefore, the DFT methods were more reliable for relative BDE calculations than for absolute BDE calculations. Finally, it was observed that the basis set effects on the BDEs calculated by the DFT methods were usually small except for the heteroatom-hydrogen BDEs.     

An efficient parallel algorithm for the calculation of canonical MP2 energies

We present the parallel version of a previous serial algorithm for the efficient calculation of canonical MP2 energies (Pulay, P.; Saebo, S.; Wolinski, K. Chem Phys Lett 2001, 344, 543). It is based on the Saebo-Alml?f direct-integral transformation, coupled with an efficient prescreening of the AO integrals. The parallel algorithm avoids synchronization delays by spawning a second set of slaves during the bin-sort prior to the second half-transformation. Results are presented for systems with up to 2000 basis functions. MP2 energies for molecules with 400-500 basis functions can be routinely calculated to microhartree accuracy on a small number of processors (6-8) in a matter of minutes with modern PC-based parallel computers.     

Thermochemical properties of free radicals from G3MP2B3 calculations

For a set of 32 selected free radicals, energy minimum structures, harmonic vibrational wave numbers ω_e, principal moments of inertia I_A, I_B, and I_C, heat capacities C°_p(T), entropies S°(T), thermal energy contents H°(T) ? H°(0), and standard enthalpies of formation Δ_fH°(T) were calculated at the G3MP2B3 level of theory in the temperature range 200–3000 K. In this article, thermodynamic functions at T = 298.15 K are presented and compared with recent experimental values. The mean absolute deviation between calculated and experimental Δ_fH°(298.15) values resulted in 3.91 kJ mol^?1, which is close to the average experimental uncertainty of ± 3.55 kJ mol^?1. The influence of hindered rotation on thermodynamic functions is studied for isopropyl and tert‐butyl radicals. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 550–560, 2002     

Quantum monte carlo study of heats of formation and bond dissociation energies of small hydrocarbons

A quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) benchmark study of heats of formation at 298 K and bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of 22 small hydrocarbons is reported. Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) results, obtained using a simple product trial wavefunctions consisting of a single determinant and correlation function, are compared to experiment and to other theory including a version of complete basis set theory (CBS‐Q) and density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP functional. For heats of formation, the findings are a mean absolute deviation from experiment of 1.2 kcal/mol for CBS‐Q, 2.0 kcal/mol for B3LYP, and 2.2 kcal/mol for DMC. The mean absolute deviation of 31 BDEs is 2.0 kcal/mol for CBS‐Q, 4.2 kcal/mol for B3LYP, and 2.5 kcal/mol for DMC. These findings are for 17 BDEs of closed‐shell molecules that have mean absolute deviations from experiment of 1.7 kcal/mol (CBS‐Q), 4.0 kcal/mol (B3LYP), and 2.2 kcal/mol (DMC). The corresponding results for the 14 BDEs of open‐shell molecules studied are 2.4 kcal/mol (CBS‐Q), 4.3 kcal/mol (B3LYP), and 2.9 kcal/mol (DMC). The DMC results provide a baseline from which improvement using multideterminant trial functions can be measured. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 583–592, 2005     

An efficient parallel algorithm for the calculation of unrestricted canonical MP2 energies

We present details of our efficient implementation of full accuracy unrestricted open‐shell second‐order canonical Møller–Plesset (MP2) energies, both serial and parallel. The algorithm is based on our previous restricted closed‐shell MP2 code using the Saebo–Almlöf direct integral transformation. Depending on system details, UMP2 energies take from less than 1.5 to about 3.0 times as long as a closed‐shell RMP2 energy on a similar system using the same algorithm. Several examples are given including timings for some large stable radicals with 90+ atoms and over 3600 basis functions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011     

Hydrogen bond energies of 2-aminopyridine dimer and 2-aminopyridine-2-pyridone complex formation

The formation energies of 2-aminopyridine dimer and 2-aminopyridine-2-pyridone complex were measured in C₆D₆ solution by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and values of 25.1 and 44.6 kJ/mol were obtained. The former value is about twice the magnitude of hydrogen bond energies which are generally observed for the N---HN system, and latter value is about half the sum of the formation energies of the 2-aminopyridine and 2-pyridone dimers. The formation energies of 2-aminopyridine dimer and 2-aminopyridine-2-pyridone complex were calculated by the CNDO/2 method, and their formation energies (−ΔH) were estimated to be 28.5 and 42.8 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Accurate calculation of the heats of formation for large main group compounds with spin-component scaled MP2 methods

Three MP2-type electron correlation treatments and standard density functional theory (DFT) approaches are used to predict the heats of formation for a wide variety of different molecules. The SCF and MP2 calculations are performed efficiently using the resolution-of-the-identity (RI) approximation such that large basis set (i.e., polarized valence quadruple-zeta quality) treatments become routinely possible for systems with 50-100 atoms. An atom equivalent scheme that corrects the calculated atomic energies is applied to extract the "real" accuracy of the methods for chemically relevant problems. It is found that the spin-component-scaled MP2 method (SCS-MP2, J. Chem. Phys, 2003, 118, 9095) performs best and provides chemical accuracy (MAD of 1.18 kcal/mol) for a G2/97 test set of molecules. The computationally more economical SOS-MP2 variant, which retains only the opposite-spin part of the correlation energy, is slightly less accurate (MAD of 1.36 kcal/mol) than SCS-MP2. Both spin-component-scaled MP2 treatments perform significantly better than standard MP2 (MAD of 1.77 kcal/mol) and DFT-B3LYP (MAD of 2.12 kcal/mol). These conclusions are supported by results obtained for a second test set of complex systems containing 70 molecules, including charged, strained, polyhalogenated, hypervalent, and large unsaturated species (e.g. C60). For this set, DFT-B3LYP performs badly (MAD of 8.6 kcal/mol) with many errors >10-20 kcal/mol while the spin-component-scaled MP2 methods are still very accurate (MAD of 2.8 and 3.7 kcal/mol, respectively). DFT-B3LYP shows an obvious tendency to underestimate molecular stability as the system size increases. Out of six density functionals tested, the hybrid functional PBE0 performs best. All in all, the SCS-MP2 method, together with large AO basis sets, clearly outperforms current DFT approaches and seems to be the most accurate quantum chemical model that routinely can predict the thermodynamic properties of large main group compounds.     

一氯甲烷同步辐射光电离研究: 离子生成焓与键能的测定

本文报道超音速射流冷却条件下, 用同步辐射光研究CH3Cl光电离及其解离电离的动力学, 测得CH3Cl的电离能(IP)为11.28±0.01eV。通过测定CH3Cl光解离电离碎片的出现势(AP), 并结合有关已确认的热力学数据, 获得了它们的标准生成焓、离子型分子中的键能、中性分子或自由基中的键能及母体离子的解离能等热力学数据。对CH3Cl分子VUV光解离电离通道进行了分析。     

A comparative calculation on excited state energies of some conjugated hydrocarbons

The energies of the single-configuration lowest π – π* singlet and triplet states of some conjugated hydrocarbons have been calculated by the MC-SCF method using the conjugate-gradient technique of minimisation. The results are compared with those calculated by other methods currently in use, like (a) single-configuration calculation with V_N?1 potential for virtual orbitals; (b) CI calculation involving singly excited states; and (c) TDHF method. It has been concluded that the results for the MC-SCF method are very good, considering that only a single open-shell configuration is involved.     

Substituent effects on the thermochemistry of thiophenes. a theoretical (G3(MP2)//B3LYP and G3) study

Very good linear correlations between experimental and calculated enthalpies of formation in the gas phase (G3(MP2)//B3LYP and G3) for 48 thiophene derivatives have been obtained. These correlations permit a correction of the calculated enthalpies of formation in order to estimate more reliable "experimental" values for the enthalpies of formation of substituted thiophenes, check the reliability of experimental measurements, and also predict the enthalpies of formation of new thiophenes that are not available in the literature. Moreover, the difference between the enthalpies of formation of isomeric thiophenes with the same substituent in positions 2 and 3 of the ring has been analyzed. Likewise, a comparison of the substituent effect in the thiophene and benzene rings has been established.     

CH3I同步辐射光电离及生成焓、键能和质子亲合势的测定

在超声射流冷却条件下用VUV同步辐射研究了CH3I分子的光电离过程。测定了CH3I光电离及解离电离产生的CH3I^+, CH3^+和I^+的出现势, 结合已确认的热力学数据, 估算出体系中有关离子的标准生成焓、分子和分子离子的键能、自由基的质子亲合势及母体离子的解离能等数据。对CH3I分子VUV光解离电离通道进行了分析。     

Theoretical calculation of bond dissociation energies and heats of formation for nitromethane and polynitromethanes with density functional theory

The C? NO₂ bond dissociation energies (BDEs) and the heats of formation (HOFs) of nitromethane and polynitromethanes (dinitromethane, trinitromethane, and tetranitromethane) system in gas phase at 298.15 K were calculated theoretically. Density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91, and PBE0 methods in combination with different basis sets were employed. It was found that the C? NO₂ bond BDEs can be improved from B3LYP to B3PW91 to B3P86 or PBE0 functional. Levels of theory employing B3P86 and PBE0 functionals were found to be sufficiently reliable without the presence of diffusion functions. As the number of NO₂ groups on the same C atom increases, the PBE0 functional performs better than the B3P86 functional. Regarding the calculated HOFs, all four functionals can yield satisfactory results with deviations of <2 kcal mol^?1 from experimental ones for CH₂(NO₂)₂ and CH(NO₂)₃, when the diffusion functions are not augmented. For the C(NO₂)₄ molecule, the large basis sets augmented with polarization functions and diffusion functions are required to yield a good result. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Investigation of the use of B3LYP zero-point energies and geometries in the calculation of enthalpies of formation

The use of B3LYP/6–31G^* zero-point energies and geometries in the calculation of enthalpies of formation has been investigated for the enlarged G2 test set of 148 molecules [J. Chem. Phys. 106 (1997) 1063]. A scale factor of 0.96 for the B3LYP zero-point energies gives an average absolute deviation nearly the same as scaled HF/6–31G^* zero-point energies for G2, G2(MP2), and B3LYP/6–311 + G(3df,2p) enthalpies. A scale factor of 0.98, which has been recommended in some studies, increases the average absolute deviation by about 0.2 kcal/mol. Geometries from B3LYP/6–31G^* are found to do as well as MP2/6–31G^* geometries in the calculation of the enthalpies of formation.     

Computational methods in organic thermochemistry. 2. Enthalpies and free energies of formation for functional derivatives of organic hydrocarbons

Standard state enthalpies and free energies of formation for nitrogen-, oxygen-, sulfur-, fluorine-, chlorine-, and silicon-containing compounds can be computed with reasonable accuracy (usually within four and often two kJ/mol) using the G3 and G3MP2 model chemistries. In several of the families, compounds with as many as 10 carbon atoms have been computed. Larger errors are found in the free energies of these longer chain molecules which can be reduced by compensating for the presence of multiple conformers having a significant population at 298.15 K. In some instances, those substances showing large deviations are found to have experimental energies that may be erroneous.     

Effects of spin contamination on estimating bond dissociation energies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The objective of this work is to investigate the impact of spin contamination on the prediction of the enthalpies of formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) radicals and of the bond dissociation energies of their precursor molecule. These PAH radicals play a major role in the mass growth of soot precursors leading ultimately to the first soot particles. In this work, we highlights the errors due to spin contamination by comparing spin‐unrestricted open‐shell calculations (UHF, UMP2, and Quadratic CI singles and doubles [QCISD(T)]) with spin‐restricted open‐shell calculations (ROHF, ROMP2, and ROCCSD(T)). The results suggest that one should be very careful using any of the spin‐unrestricted methods (even QCISD (T)) unless the values are extremely close to the theoretical value. Following these observations, we propose a new set of best‐estimates for the enthalpies of formation of these critical PAH radicals using spin‐restricted open‐shell ROMP2 and RCCSD(T) calculations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A convenient method for the addition of HI to unsaturated hydrocarbons using I2 on Al2O3

Iodine reacts, under mild conditions, with hydroxyl groups on the surface of alumina to form HI which readily adds to unsaturated hydrocarbons to form alkyl and vinyl iodides.     

G3(MP2) enthalpies of hydrogenation, isomerization, and formation of extended linear polyacetylenes

Motivated by our recent finding that, in contrast to their olefinic counterparts, linear alternant polyacetylenes (polyynes) show no appreciable thermodynamic evidence of conjugation stabilization, we have extended our G3(MP2) calculations of standard enthalpies of hydrogenation, delta(hyd), formation, delta(f), and isomerization, delta(isom), as far as isomeric dodecadiynes. We show that thermochemical stabilization of conjugated polyalkynes is about 1 kcal mol(-1) over most of this range, and that the progression from one polyalkyne to the next is regular and additive. The longest chain polyalkynes, however, begin to revert to classical conjugation stabilization energies. For example, 5,7-dodecadiyne has a thermochemical stabilization enthalpy of 3.1 kcal mol(-1), approaching that of 1,3-butadiene. We also point out some of the difficulties encountered when one departs from Kistiakowsky's operational definition of conjugation stabilization. A cautionary example is drawn from the recent literature in which arguments of hyperconjugation and "virtual states" are used to arrive at, among other things, a value of 8.5 kcal mol(-1) of conjugative stabilization in 1,3-butadiene.