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The quartic force fields of HCO+ and HOC+ have been computed using augmented coupled cluster methods and basis sets of spdf and spdfg quality. Calculations on HCN, CO, and N2 have been performed to assist in calibrating the computed results. Going from an spdf to an spdfg basis shortens triple bonds by about 0.004 Å, and increases the corresponding harmonic frequency by 10–20 cm-1, leaving bond distances about 0.003 Å too long and triple bond stretching frequencies about 5 cm-1 too low. Accurate estimates for the bond distances, fundamental frequencies, and thermochemical quantities are given. HOC+ lies 37.8±0.5 kcal/mol (0 K) above HCO+; the classical barrier height for proton exchange is 76.7±1.0 kcal/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have performed full CI calculations on the collinear transition state for the reaction F+H2→HF+H. The full CI results are compared with those obtained from single reference and multireference CI calculations and from single reference CPF calculations. In general, only those methods which attempt to account for the effects of higher excitations, such as CPF or CI plus the Davidson correction, yield a transition state location and barrier height in good agreement with the full CI. In an extended basis, the effect of higher excitations is estimated to lower the barrier by as much as 1.5 kcal/mol; such an effect would essentially eliminate the present discrepancy between theory and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an analytic representation of the ArH2 potential energy surface which well reproduces the results of extensive ab initio electronic structure calculations. We also give an empirical modification of the function designed to improve agreement with experimental estimates of the van der Waals minimum. The analytic representation smoothly interpolates between the H+H and strong bonding H2 limits. In the fitting process, an accurate reproduction of regions of the potential expected to be important for high temperature (∼3000 K) collision processes is emphasized. Overall, the analytic representation well reproduces the anisotropy and H2 bond length dependence of the input data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the termolecular reaction involving concerted hydrogen exchange between three HF molecules, with particular emphasis on the effects of correlation at the various stationary points along the reaction. Using an extended basis, we have located the geometries of the stable hydrogen-bonded trimer, which is of C3h symmetry, and the transition state for hydrogen exchange, which is of D3h symmetry. The energetics of the exchange reaction were then evaluated at the correlated level, using a large atomic natural orbital basis and correlating all valence electrons. Several correlation treatments were used, namely, configuration interaction with single and double excitations, coupled-pair functional, and coupled-cluster methods. We are thus able to measure the effect of accounting for size-extensivity. Zero-point corrections to the correlated level energetics were determined using analytic second derivative techniques at the self-consistent field (SCF) level. Our best calculations, which include the effects of connected triple excitations in the coupled-cluster procedure, indicate that the trimer is bound by 9±1 kcal/mol relative to three separated monomers, in excellent agreement with previous estimates. The barrier to concerted hydrogen exchange is 15 kcal/mol above the trimer, or only 4.7 kcal/mol above three separated monomers. Thus the barrier to hydrogen exchange between HF molecules via this termolecular process is very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quartic force field of ethylene, C2H4, has been calculated ab initio using augmented coupled cluster, CCSD(T), methods and correlation consistent basis sets of spdf quality. For the 12C isotopomers C2H4, C2H3D, H2CCD2, cis-C2H2D2, trans-C2H2D2, C2HD3, and C2D4, all fundamentals are reproduced to better than 10 cm-1, except for three cases where the error is 11 cm-1. Our calculated harmonic frequencies suggest a thorough revision of the accepted experimentally derived values. Our computed and empirically corrected re geometry differs substantially from experimentally derived values: Both the predicted rz geometry and the ground-state rotational constants are, however, in excellent agreement with experiment, suggesting revision of the older values. Anharmonicity constants agree well with experiment for stretches, but differ substantially for stretch–bend interaction constants, due to equality constraints in the experimental analysis that do not hold. Improved criteria for detecting Fermi and Coriolis resonances are proposed and found to work well, contrary to the established method based on harmonic frequency differences that fails to detect several important resonances for C2H4 and its isotopomers. Surprisingly good results are obtained with a small spd basis at the CCSD(T) level. The well-documented strong basis set effect on the ν8 out-of-plane motion is present to a much lesser extent when correlation-optimized polarization functions are used. Complete sets of anharmonic, rovibrational coupling, and centrifugal distortion constants for the isotopomers are available as supplementary material to the paper via the World-Wide Web. © 1995 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A very accurate ab initio quartic force field for CH4 and its isotopomers is presented. The quartic force field was determined with the singles and doubles coupled-cluster procedure that includes a quasiperturbative estimate of the effects of connected triple excitations, CCSD(T), using the correlation consistent polarized valence triple zeta, cc-pVTZ, basis set. Improved quadratic force constants were evaluated with the correlation consistent polarized valence quadruple zeta, cc-pVQZ, basis set. Fundamental vibrational frequencies are determined using second-order perturbation theory anharmonic analyses. All fundamentals of CH4 and isotopomers for which accurate experimental values exist and for which there is not a large Fermi resonance, are predicted to within ±6 cm-1. It is thus concluded that our predictions for the harmonic frequencies and the anharmonic constants are the most accurate estimates available. It is also shown that using cubic and quartic force constants determined with the correlation consistent polarized double zeta, cc-pVDZ, basis set in conjunction with the cc-pVQZ quadratic force constants and equilibrium geometry leads to accurate predictions for the fundamental vibrational frequencies of methane, suggesting that this approach may be a viable alternative for larger molecules. Using CCSD(T), core correlation is found to reduce the CH4 re by 0.0015 Å. Our best estimate for re is 1.0862±0.0005 Å. © 1995 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full CI calculations have been performed on the CH3 radical. The full CI results are compared to those obtained using CASSCF/multireference CI and coupled-pair functional methods, both at the equilibrium CH distance and at geometries with the three CH bonds extended. In general, the performance of the approximate methods is similar to that observed in calculations on other molecules in which one or two bonds were stretched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]