DLPNO‐CCSD(T) scaled methods for the accurate treatment of large supramolecular complexes

In this work, we present scaled variants of the DLPNO‐CCSD(T) method, dubbed as (LS)DLPNO‐CCSD(T) and (NS)DLPNO‐CCSD(T), to obtain accurate interaction energies in supramolecular complexes governed by noncovalent interactions. The novel scaled schemes are based on the linear combination of the DLPNO‐CCSD(T) correlation energies calculated with the standard (LoosePNO and NormalPNO) and modified (Loose2PNO and Normal2PNO) DLPNO‐CCSD(T) accuracy levels. The scaled DLPNO‐CCSD(T) variants provide nearly TightPNO accuracy, which is essential for the quantification of weak noncovalent interactions, with a noticeable saving in computational cost. Importantly, the accuracy of the proposed schemes is preserved irrespective of the nature and strength of the supramolecular interaction. The (LS)DLPNO‐CCSD(T) and (NS)DLPNO‐CCSD(T) protocols have been used to study in depth the role of the CH–π versus π–π interactions in the supramolecular complex formed by the electron‐donor truxene‐tetrathiafulvalene (truxTTF) and the electron‐acceptor hemifullerene (C₃₀H₁₂). (NS)DLPNO‐CCSD(T)/CBS calculations clearly reveal the higher stability of staggered (dominated by CH–π interactions) versus bowl‐in‐bowl (dominated by π–π interactions) arrangements in the truxTTF?C₃₀H₁₂ heterodimer. Hemifullerene and similar carbon‐based buckybowls are therefore expected to self‐assemble with donor compounds in a richer way other than the typical concave–convex π–π arrangement found in fullerene‐based aggregates. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.