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It is well established that extrapolating the coupled-cluster single double triple [CCSD and (T)] correlation energies using empirically motivated extrapolation exponents can accelerate the basis set convergence. Here, we consider the extrapolation of coupled-cluster expansion terms beyond the CCSD(T) level to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. We obtain reference CCSDT-CCSD(T) [T3-(T)], CCSDT(Q)-CCSDT [(Q)], and CCSDTQ-CCSDT(Q) [T4-(Q)] contributions from cc-pV{5,6}Z extrapolations for a diverse set of 16 first- and second-row systems. We use these basis-set limit results to fit extrapolation exponents in conjunction with the cc-pV{D,T}Z, cc-pV{T,Q}Z, and cc-pV{Q,5}Z basis set pairs. The optimal extrapolation exponents result in noticeable improvements in performance (relative to α = 3.0) in conjunction with the cc-pV{T,Q}Z basis set pair; however, smaller improvements are obtained for the other basis sets. These results confirm that the basis sets and basis set extrapolations used for obtaining post-CCSD(T) components in composite thermochemical theories such as Weizmann-4 and HEAT are sufficiently close to the CBS limit for attaining sub-kJ/mole accuracy. The fitted extrapolation exponents demonstrate that the T3-(T) correlation component converges more slowly to the CBS limit than the (Q) and T4 terms. A systematic investigation of the effect of diffuse functions shows that it diminishes (i) in the order T3-(T) > (Q) > T4-(Q) and (ii) with the size of the basis set. Importantly, we find that diffuse functions tend to systematically reduce the T3-(T) contribution but systematically increases the (Q) contribution. Thus, the use of the cc-pVnZ basis sets benefits from a certain degree of error cancellation between these two components.

We examine the basis set convergence of the CCSD(T) method for obtaining the structures of the 108 neutral first- and second-row species in the W4-11 database (with up to five non-hydrogen atoms). This set includes a total of 181 unique bonds: 75 H—X, 49 X—Y, 43 X=Y, and 14 X≡Y bonds (where X and Y are first- and second-row atoms). As reference values, geometries optimized at the CCSD(T)/aug′-cc-pV(6+d)Z level of theory are used. We consider the basis set convergence of the CCSD(T) method with the correlation consistent basis sets cc-pV(n+d)Z and aug′-cc-pV(n+d)Z (n = D, T, Q, 5) and the Weigend–Ahlrichs def2-n ZVPP basis sets (n = T, Q). For each increase in the highest angular momentum present in the basis set, the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) over the bond distances is decreased by a factor of ∼4. For example, the following RMSDs are obtained for the cc-pV(n+d)Z basis sets 0.0196 (D), 0.0050 (T), 0.0015 (Q), and 0.0004 (5) A. Similar results are obtained for the aug′-cc-pV(n+d)Z and def2-n ZVPP basis sets. The double-zeta and triple-zeta quality basis sets systematically and significantly overestimate the bond distances. A simple and cost-effective way to improve the performance of these basis sets is to scale the bond distances by an empirical scaling factor of 0.9865 (cc-pV(D+d)Z) and 0.9969 (cc-pV(T+d)Z). This results in RMSDs of 0.0080 (scaled cc-pV(D+d)Z) and 0.0029 (scaled cc-pV(T+d)Z) A. The basis set convergence of larger basis sets can be accelerated via standard basis-set extrapolations. In addition, the basis set convergence of explicitly correlated CCSD(T)-F12 calculations is investigated in conjunction with the cc-pVnZ-F12 basis sets (n = D, T). Typically, one “gains” two angular momenta in the explicitly correlated calculations. That is, the CCSD(T)-F12/cc-pVnZ-F12 level of theory shows similar performance to the CCSD(T)/cc-pV(n+2)Z level of theory. In particular, the following RMSDs are obtained for the cc-pVnZ-F12 basis sets 0.0019 (D) and 0.0006 (T) A. Overall, the CCSD(T)-F12/cc-pVDZ-F12 level of theory offers a stellar price-performance ratio and we recommend using it when highly accurate reference geometries are needed (e.g., in composite ab initio theories such as W4 and HEAT).

We examine the magnitude and the basis set convergence of post-coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)) contributions (up to CCSDTQ567) for a wide and diverse set of 21 first- and second-row molecules with up to four non-hydrogen atoms. We focus on multireference systems for which post-CCSD(T) effects are particularly pronounced. The considered molecules are BN(1∑+), C2(1∑+), O2, FO, P2, S2, ClO, N2O, NO2, O3, FNO, FO2, F2O, S2O, S3, ClNO, ClOO, Cl2O, N2C2, P4, and S4. This set spans the gamut from molecules dominated by moderate nondynamical correlation (e.g., FO, ClO, NO2, S2O, N2C2, and P4) to systems dominated by strong nondynamical correlation (e.g., BN, C2, FO2, O3, ClOO, and S4). We examine the basis set convergence of the CCSDT, CCSDT(Q), CCSDTQ, CCSDTQ(5), CCSDTQ5, CCSDTQ5(6), CCSDTQ56, CCSDTQ56(7), and CCSDTQ567 methods. The largest basis sets employed in each category are cc-pV6Z (CCSDT(Q)), cc-pV5Z (CCSDTQ), cc-pVTZ (CCSDTQ5(6)), and cc-pVDZ (CCSDTQ567). Apart from examining the basis-set convergence of post-CCSD(T) contributions near the one-particle basis-set limit, this work explores cost-effective approaches for obtaining these contributions from fairly small basis sets. We consider both effective basis-set extrapolations and scaling factors. An important finding is that extrapolating the perturbative connected quadruples, (Q), from the cc-pVDZ(4s3p1d) and cc-pVTZ basis sets yields near basis-set limit results and represents a significant improvement relative to cc-pV{D,T}Z extrapolation at no additional computational cost (where cc-pVDZ(4s3p1d) is an extended version of the cc-pVDZ basis set). Combining the (Q)/cc-pV{D(4s3p1d),T}Z extrapolations with the fully iterative connected quadruples, Q–(Q), contribution calculated with the cc-pVDZ (or even the cc-pVDZ(3s2p)) basis set is a cost-effective way for obtaining the connected quadruples component close to the basis-set limit (where cc-pVDZ(3s2p) is a truncated version of the cc-pVDZ basis set). In addition, we show that the (5)/cc-pVDZ(3s2p) and (6)/cc-pVDZ(3s2p) components provide reasonable approximations for the connected quintuple and sextuple components close to the basis-set limit, respectively.

In an attempt to extend the applicability of the W1 and W2 ab initio computational thermochemistry methods, we propose explicitly correlated versions thereof, denoted W1-F12 and W2-F12. In W2-F12, we can "save" one cardinal number (viz., angular momentum) in the basis set sequences without loss in accuracy; in W1-F12, we can do so for first-row compounds but not for second-row compounds. At a root mean square deviation (RMSD) = 0.19 kcal/mol for the first-row molecules in the W4-11 benchmark dataset, W1-F12 is in fact superior to ordinary W1 theory. For the entire W4-11 set, W2-F12 yields a RMSD = 0.20 kcal/mol, comparable to 0.19 kcal/mol from ordinary W2 theory. The extended applicability ranges of W1-F12 and W2-F12 are not just due to the lower computational cost but also to greatly reduced memory and especially storage requirements. They are illustrated through applications to nucleic acids and to polyacenes (with up to four rings), for which the following revised gas-phase heats of formation are found: Δ(f)H(298)(∘) = 19.6 (benzene), 34.94 (naphthalene), 53.9, (anthracene), 73.9 (naphthacene/tetracene), 54.9 (adenine), -16.3 (cytosine), 5.1 (guanine), -80.6 (thymine), and -71.6 (uracil) kcal/mol. Our theoretical values for the DNA/RNA bases largely confirm recent predictions based on much lower-level calculations. The W1-F12 theoretical values for benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene are in very good to reasonable agreement with experiment. However, both W1-F12 and other computational estimates show that the accepted experimental value for naphthacene cannot be reconciled with those for the lower acenes: we suggest that Δ(f)H(298)(∘)[naphthacene(g)] = 74.25 ± 1 kcal/mol is a more realistic estimate.

The basis set convergence of explicitly correlated double-hybrid density functional theory (DFT) is investigated using the B2GP-PLYP functional. As reference values, we use basis set limit B2GP-PLYP-F12 reaction energies extrapolated from the aug(')-cc-pV(Q+d)Z and aug(')-cc-pV(5+d)Z basis sets. Explicitly correlated double-hybrid DFT calculations converge significantly faster to the basis set limit than conventional calculations done with basis sets saturated up to the same angular momentum (typically, one "gains" one angular momentum in the explicitly correlated calculations). In explicitly correlated F12 calculations the VnZ-F12 basis sets converge faster than the orbital A(')VnZ basis sets. Furthermore, basis set convergence of the MP2-F12 component is apparently faster than that of the underlying Kohn-Sham calculation. Therefore, the most cost-effective approach consists of combining the MP2-F12 correlation energy from a comparatively small basis set such as VDZ-F12 with a DFT energy from a larger basis set such as aug(')-cc-pV(T+d)Z.

The adiabatic electron affinity (AEA) of SF6 has been calculated near the relativistic CCSDT(Q) basis set limit. Our best theoretical value (1.0340 ± 0.03 eV) is in excellent agreement with the recently revised experimental value of 1.03 ± 0.05 eV reported by Troe et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 136, 121102 (2012)]10.1063/1.3698170. While our best nonrelativistic, clamped-nuclei, valence CCSD(T) basis set limit value of 0.9058 eV is in good accord with the previously reported CCSD(T)/CBS values, to obtain an accurate AEA, several additional contributions need to be taken into account. The most important one is scalar-relativistic effects (0.0839 eV), followed by inner-shell correlation (0.0216 eV) and post-CCSD(T) correlation effects (0.0248 eV), the latter almost entirely due to connected quadruple excitations. The diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction is an order of magnitude less important at −0.0022 eV.

The notoriously small $X ^3\Pi-a ^1\Sigma^+$ excitation energy of the BN diatomic has been calculated using high-order coupled cluster methods. Convergence has been established in both the 1-particle basis set and the coupled cluster expansion. Explicit inclusion of connected quadruple excitations $\hat{T}_4$ is required for even semiquantitative agreement with the limit value, while connected quintuple excitations $\hat{T}_5$ still have an effect of about 60 cm$^{-1}$. Still higher excitations only account for about 10 cm$^{-1}$. Inclusion of inner-shell correlation further reduces $T_e$ by about 60 cm$^{-1}$ at the CCSDT, and 85 cm$^{-1}$ at the CCSDTQ level. Our best estimate, $T_e$=183$\pm$40 cm$^{-1}$, is in excellent agreement with earlier calculations and experiment, albeit with a smaller (and conservative) uncertainty. The dissociation energy of BN($X ^3\Pi$) is $D_e$=105.74$\pm$0.16 kcal/mol and $D_0$=103.57$\pm$0.16 kcal/mol., Comment: J. Chem. Phys., in press