The electronic structure of molecules by a many-body approach : II. Ionization potentials one-electron properties of pyridine and phosphoridine

The valence ionization potential (IPs) of pyridine and phosphoridine are studied by an ab initio many-body approach which includes the effects of electron correlation and reorganization beyond the Hartree-Fock approximation. For pyridine the order of the first three IPs is a₂(π), a₁(n), b₁(π), but the IPs of the a₂ and a₁ orbitals are so close together that they have to be regarded as identical in binding energy, which is also concluded from experiment. Whereas for pyridine the ordering of the IPs calculated in the HF approximation is incorrect, it is correct for phosphoridine. For this latter molecule the first three ionization potentials are due to ionization from the b₁(π), a₂(π), and a₁(n) orbitals. Several one-electron properties are calculated and compared with experimental and other theoretical data. The localized molecular orbitals are discussed as well.