Valence p functions for alkali and alkaline-earth atoms

Contracted Gaussian-type function (CGTF) basis sets are reported for valence p orbitals of the six alkali and alkaline-earth atoms Li, Be, Na, Mg, K, and Ca for molecular applications. These sets are constructed by Roothaan–Hartree–Fock calculations for the ns → np excited states of atoms, in which both linear and nonlinear parameters of CGTFs are variationally optimized. The present CGTF sets reproduce well the numerical Hartree–Fock ns → np excitation energies: the largest error is 0.0009 hartrees for Li. New CGTFs are tested with diatomic Li₂, Na₂, K₂, and MH molecules, where M = Li, Be, Na, Mg, K, and Ca, by self-consistent-field (SCF) and multiconfiguration SCF calculations. The resultant spectroscopic constants compare well with those of more elaborate calculations and are sufficiently close to experimental values, supporting the efficiency of the present set for the valence p orbitals. Received: 9 July 1998 / Accepted: 17 September 1998 / Published online: 1 February 1999     

Contracted polarization functions for B to Ar

Using optimal exponents for B through Ne given by Dunning and those for Al through Ar by Woon and Dunning, d-type contracted polarization functions (2d/1d), (3d/1d), and (3d/2d) are generated from natural orbitals of atomic single and double excitation configuration interaction (SDCI) calculations, where the numbers before and after the slash are those of the primitive and contracted Gaussian type functions. The resulting contracted functions are tested on N₂ and P₂ molecules by self-consistent field and SDCI calculations, which clarify characteristics of the present polarization functions. Received: 5 June 1997 / Accepted: 20 August 1997     

Contracted Gaussian-type basis functions revisited. III. Atoms K through Kr

Six minimal basis sets of contracted Gaussian-type functions (GTFs) are developed for the third-row atoms K through Kr. The smallest and largest sets for transition metal atoms are (3333/33/3) and (8433/84/8), respectively, where a slash distinguishes the s, p, and d symmetries and single-digit figures in the parentheses denote the numbers of primitive GTFs. The two largest sets, (7433/74/7) and (8433/84/8), surpass the (62111111/33111/311) set of Schaefer et al. in the associated total energies. Our (8433/84/8) set is also superior to their (842111/631/411) set. The quality of the present basis sets is tested by self-consistent field (SCF) and configuration interaction (CI) calculations on the Cu₂ molecule. As the accuracy of the basis set increases, SCF calculations show a decrease in the dissociation energy and an increase in the equilibrium internuclear distance. The same tendencies are found in the results of CI calculations with and without a Davidson correction. All the present basis sets are freely available at the internet address: http://202.35.198.41/∼htatewak/. Received: 17 June 1998 / Accepted: 4 August 1998 / Published online: 23 November 1998     

Valence 4p functions for the first-row transition metal atoms

For the valence 4p orbitals of the first-row transition metal atoms Sc through Zn, Gaussian-type basis functions are developed referring to excited 3d ^m 4s ¹4p ¹ electronic configurations. Molecular tests of the present work 4p sets are performed for the Cu atom, the diatomic Cu₂ molecule, and Cu₉ and Cu₁₃ clusters, and the results are compared with those from two literature sets. Received: 17 January 2000 / Accepted: 30 May 2000 / Published Online: 11 September 2000     

Contracted Gaussian-type basis functions revisited II. Atoms Na through Ar

We report five minimal-type contracted Gaussian-type function (CGTF) basis sets of the second-row atoms, Na – Ar, for molecular applications. Three of the present CGTF sets are revised versions of those given by Huzinaga and co-workers and the other two are newly developed for more accurate calculations. Practical utility and improved reliability of the present basis sets, augmented by polarization functions, are confirmed by test calculations on the P atom and P₂ molecule both at the self-consistent field (SCF) and configuration interaction (CI) levels. Received: 10 February 1997 / Accepted: 23 April 1997     

Correlating basis sets for the H atom and the alkali-metal atoms from Li to Rb

 Contracted Gaussian-type function sets are developed for correlating p, d, and f functions for a valence electron of the hydrogen atom and alkali-metal atoms from Li to Rb. A segmented contraction scheme is used for its compactness and efficiency. Contraction coefficients and exponents are determined by minimizing the deviation from the K orbitals of the atoms. The present basis sets yield an accuracy comparable to the correlation-consistent basis set for the hydrogen atom and also give a similar high accuracy for the alkali-metal atoms. In the calculations of spectroscopic constants of alkali hydrides, the decontraction of the p function plays an important role, especially for LiH. The contributions of d and f functions are nontrivial for KH and RbH. Received: 6 September 2002 / Accepted: 13 November 2002 / Published online: 19 March 2003 Acknowledgements. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education of Japan. Correspondence to: T. Noro e-mail: tashi@sci.hokudai.ac.jp     

Contracted polarization functions for the atoms Ca, Ga–Kr, Sr, and In–Xe

 Contracted Gaussian-type function sets are proposed for polarization functions of the atoms Ga–Kr and In–Xe. We also report polarization functions for Ca and Sr. A segmented contraction scheme is used for its compactness and computational efficiency. The contraction coefficients and orbital exponents are fully optimized to minimize the deviation from accurate atomic natural orbitals. The present polarization functions yield more than 99% of atomic correlation energies predicted by accurate natural orbitals of the same size. Received: 23 February 2001 / Accepted: 19 April 2001 / Published online: 13 June 2001     

Contracted Gaussian-type basis functions revisited. IV. Atoms Rb to Xe

We report minimal-type contracted Gaussian-type function (GTF) sets, #n=(n3333/n33/n3) with n=5 and 6, #7= (74333/743/74), and #8= (84333/843/75), for the fourth-row atoms from Rb to Xe. Test calculations are performed on the Ag₂ molecule. Spectroscopic constants given by split valence sets derived from #5 and #6 are a little contaminated by basis set superposition error. However, we find that the fully valence split #8 set, (8433111/84111/711111), yields essentially the same results as a large GTF set, (22s15p12d), with a general contraction, when p-, d-, and f-type polarization functions are augmented. The present #7 and #8 CGTF sets are recommended for ab initio molecular calculations including fourth-row atoms. Received: 15 January 2002 / Accepted: 16 April 2002 / Published online: 24 June 2002     

Spin density in first-row atoms from the Hiller-Sucher-Feinberg identity

Summary The performance of delta function and Hiller-Sucher-Feinberg (HSF) operators is compared for calculations of the electronic spin density at the nucleus, which determines the observed Fermi contact hyperfine splitting. Calculations are performed on the ground states of the first-row open-shell atoms boron through fluorine. The wavefunctions include low order spin polarization effects calculated through the multiconfigurational self-consistent-field procedure. It is shown that while delta function and HSF operators give nearly the same results when essentially exact numerical grid methods are used, the HSF operator gives a significant advantage when contracted Gaussian type basis sets are utilized.     

A study on universal Gaussian basis sets for first-row atoms

Analysis of various optimum and non-optimum Gaussian basis sets for firstrow elements have indicated that with a minimum increase of the basis set size and without loss of accuracy of the calculated total energy, a single universal Gaussian basis set may replace individually optimized Gaussian basis sets for a series of atoms. Such a universal Gaussian basis set may substantially reduce the computational work required for the calculation of molecular integrals in ab initio MO calculations.     

Even-tempered Roothaan-Hartree-Fock wave functions for the third- and fourth-row atoms

Summary Roothaan-Hartree-Fock wave functions composed of 12s8p6d, 12s10p6d, and 12s10p8d even-tempered (ET) Slater-type functions (STFs), respectively, are reported for the atoms K-Zn, Ga-Kr, and Rb-Xe in their ground state. Despite the limited variational freedom in the Et method, the resultant atomic energies are found to compare well with fully-optimized wave functions of similar sizes. In particular, the present ET results reproduce almost completely the fully-optimized Sekiya-Tatewaki energies with the same basis set size for the atoms K-Zn. All the present energies are also lower than the Clementi-Roetti ones with slightly smaller but fully-optimized basis sets. A generalized even-tempered scheme is suggested and shown to give good results for Xe.     

Molecular integrals over Gaussian-type geminal basis functions

We present formulas for the evaluation of molecular integrals over basis functions with an explicit Gaussian dependence on interelectronic coordinates. These formulas use expansions in Hermite Gaussian functions and represent an extension to the work of McMurchie and Davidson to two-electron basis functions. Integrals that depend on the coordinates of up to four electrons are discussed explicitly. A key feature of this approach is that it allows full exploitation of the shell structure of the orbital part of the basis. Received: 24 February 1997 / Accepted: 4 March 1997     

Influence of polarization functions on molecular electrostatic potentials

We study the effects of d-polarization functions, centered on the heavy atoms, on the SCF molecular electrostatic potentials calculated for some molecules. The positions and energies of the minima found are very sensitive to the inclusion of polarization functions in the basis set used. The variations depend on the heavy atom involved and on the possible anisotropy of its charge distribution. These variations are particularly important for second-row atoms.     

Polarization functions for gaussian basis sets for the first row atoms

Exponent optimization was performed for a single set ofd-type Gaussians on the first row atoms C, N, and O in fifteen small molecules. The hydrogenp-exponents were kept at the fixed value of 1.0. For the underlying valence shell basis sets, Dunning's double zeta basis sets were used. Standard exponents of polarization functions are suggested for the most common valence states of the C, N, and O atoms.     

Medium-size Gaussian basis sets for hydrogen through argon

Summary Medium-sized Gaussian basis sets are reoptimized for the ground states of the atoms from hydrogen through argon. The composition of these basis sets is (4s), (5s), and (6s) for H and He, (9s5p) and (12s7p) for the atoms Li to Ne, and (12s8p) and (12s9p) for the atoms Na to Ar. Basis sets for the² P states of Li and Na, and the³ P states of Be and Mg are also constructed since they are useful in molecular calculations. In all cases, our energies are lower than those obtained previously with Gaussian basis sets of the same size.     

Bond functions and many-body effects of the helium trimer

A general scheme for efficient implementation of bond functions in homonuclear triatomics is suggested and applied to the linear and triangular configurations of the helium trimer. It is found that only one set of midbond functions of size 6s3p can provide nearly all of the benefits obtainable from larger sizes as well as 100% of the energy lowering obtained with ten sets of d-functions added at the atom centres. They also enhance the convergence properties of the many body terms at the Hartree-Fock and electron correlation levels. Correct dissociation limits and avoiding spurious minima of potential wells as well as other linear and triangular configurations are taken into account. Received: 5 November 1996 / Accepted: 7 April 1997     

Gaussian basis sets for calculation of spin densities in first-row atoms

Summary The suitability of Gaussian basis sets for ab initio calculation of Fermi contact spin densities is established by application to the prototype first-row atoms B-F having open shell p electrons. Small multiconfiguration self-consistent-field wave functions are used to describe relevant spin and orbital polarization effects. Basis sets are evaluated by comparing the results to highly precise numerical grid calculations previously carried out with the same wave function models. It is found that modest contracted Gaussian basis sets developed primarily for Hartree-Fock calculations can give semiquantitative results if augmented by diffuse functions and if further uncontracted in the outer core-inner valence region.     

Analytical Hartree–Fock electron densities for atoms He through Lr

The Hartree-Fock electron density has an important property that it is identical to the exact density to first order in the perturbation theory. For the neutral atoms from He (Z = 2) to Lr (Z = 103) in their ground state, we report an accurate analytical approximation F(r) to the spherically averaged electron densityρ(r) obtained by the numerical Hartree-Fock method. The present density functionF(r) is expressed by a linear combination of reasonable number (not more than 30) of basis functionsr ⁿⁱ exp(- ζ _i r), and has the following properties: (i)F(r) is nonnegative, (ii)F(tr) is normalized, (iii)F(r) reproduces the Hartree-Fock moments <r ^k > (k = −2 to +6), (iv)F(0) is equal toρ(0), (v)F′(0) satisfies the cusp condition, and (vi)F(r) has the correct exponential decay in the long-range asymptotic region.     

Influence of diffuse and polarization functions on the second-order Møller–Plesset optimized dihedral angle of biphenyl

 Using 6-31G and 6-311G basis sets to which diffuse and polarization functions were added in a stepwise fashion (a total of 16 basis sets), Hartree–Fock (HF), MP2 and B3LYP geometry optimizations were performed on biphenyl. With the MP2 method, diffuse functions raise the dihedral angle φ, for example, from 46.3° for 6-31G to 54.1° for 6-311++G, while polarization functions lower it, for example, from 54.1° for 6-311++G to 42.1° for 6-311++G(2d,2p). For a single set of polarization functions, φ(MP2) lies close to or above φ(HF) (44–47°), but for a double set it is below φ(HF) and is close to B3LYP values (38–42°) which show little basis set dependence. The most reliable value for φ, 42.1° [MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p)], is expected to increase slightly by adding more diffuse functions. The corresponding best calculated energy barrier at 0° (coplanar conformation) is 2.83 kcal/mol, much higher than the experimental estimate (1.4 ± 0.5 kcal/mol). The barrier at 90° is 1.82 kcal/mol, in line with the experimental estimate (1.6 ± 0.5 kcal/mol) and with previous theoretical results. Received: 9 September 2002 / Accepted: 15 November 2002 / Published online: 1 April 2003 Correspondence to: Friedrich Grein e-mail: fritz@unb.ca Acknowledgement. The author would like to thank NSERC (Canada) for financial support.