Relaxation Effect of Basis Orbitals on the Properties of Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen Systems

The effect of orbital relaxation on the properties of atomic and molecular hydrogen systems H, H ₂ ⁺ , H₂, H ₂ ⁻ , and H ₃ ⁺ calculated using the minimal basis set, the split valence shell basis set including the polarization function, and an extended basis set of grouped natural orbitals is considered. Inclusion of orbital relaxation in calculations results in a decreased total energy and more accurate energies of electron affinity. The strongest effect is produced on the calculated characteristics of the anions. The calculated activation energy of the radical reaction of hydrogen elimination. H₂ + H = H + H₂ depends strongly on the degree to which electron correlation is taken into account. Due to inclusion of orbital relaxation, the activation energy also approximates the experimental value, although to a lesser extent. The semiempirical PM3 method fails to adequately describe the transition state of this reaction, but this disadvantage is eliminated by using the exponent of the relaxed orbital of hydrogen.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by A. I. Ermakov, A. E. Merkulov, A. A. Svechnikova, and V. V. Belousov__________Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 979–985, November–December, 2004.