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In 1986, we reported a dissociation energy (D(sub 0) of 2.31 eV for the X(sup 2)Pi ground state of MgO(+). This value was determined by computing the dissociation energy to the Mg(2+) + O(-) limit and adjusting the value to the Mg(+) + O limit using the experimental Ionization Potential (IP) of Mg(+) and the Electron Affinity (EA) of O. The success of this method relies on the assumption that there is little covalent contribution to the bonding. The very small (0.04 eV) correlation contribution to the binding energy was taken as corroboration for the validity of this approach. Our earlier theoretical value was estimated to be accurate to at least 0.2 eV. It is in excellent agreement with the subsequent value of 2.30 +/- 0.13 eV determined by Freiser and co-workers from photodissociation experiments. It is also consistent with the upper (less than 3.1 eV) and lower (greater than 1.1 eV) bounds determined by Rowe obtained by studying the reactions of Mg(+) with 03 and NO2. However, it is inconsistent with an upper bound of 1.7 eV reported by Kappes and Staley based on their failure to observe MgO(+) in the reaction of Mg(+) with N2O. The picture became somewhat clouded, however, by the recent guided-ion beam mass spectrometric studies of Dalleska and Armentrout. Their initial analysis of the reaction data for Mg(+) + O2 lead to a bond dissociation energy of 2.92 +/- 0.25 eV, which is considerably larger than the value of 2.47 +/- 0.06 eV deduced from their studies of the Mg(+)+NO2 reaction.

Relativistic corrections to the bond lengths, dissociation energies and harmonic frequencies of KF, RbF and CsF have been obtained at the self-consistent field level by dissociating to ions. The relativistic corrections to the bond lengths, harmonic frequencies and dissociation energies to the ions are very small, due to the ionic nature of these molecules and the similarity of the relativistic and nonrelativistic ionic radii.

The computed 2A2-2B2 separations of the alkali superoxides are in good agreement with those deduced from electron-spin resonance spectra. The calculations definitively show that the ground state of CsO2 is 2A2. The larger than expected separation for CsO2, based on the trend from LiO2 to RbO2, is attributed primarily to the differential effects of core relaxation. The CsO2 dissociation energy is computed to be 42.7 kcal/mol, with an uncertainty conservatively estimated as +/- 4 kcal/mol.

The bond dissociation energies for the alkali-metal superoxides have been computed using extensive Gaussian basis sets and treating electron correlation at the modified coupled-pair functional level. Our computed D0 values are 61.4, 37.2, 40.6, and 38.4 kcal/mol for LiO2, NaO2, KO2, and RbO2, respectively. These values, which are expected to be lower bounds and accurate to 2 kcal/mol, agree well with some of the older flame data, but rule out several recent experimental measurements.

The structure and binding energies are determined for Mg(CO2)n(+) and Sr(CO2)n(+) for n = 1 and 2. We also consider Mg2(+) and Mg2CO2(+) to compare the binding of CO2 to a single metal ion with the binding to a diatomic ion. The vertical excitation energies are computed for all species. The potential energy curves for the low-lying states of Mg2(+) are reported. The MgCO2(+) results are in good agreement with the experimental results of Duncan and co-workers.

Energy optimized Gaussian basis sets of triple-zeta quality for the atoms Rb-Xe have been derived. Two series of basis sets are developed: (24s 16p 10d) and (26s 16p 10d) sets which were expanded to 13d and 19p functions as the 4d and 5p shells become occupied. For the atoms lighter than Cd, the (24s 16p 10d) sets with triple-zeta valence distributions are higher in energy than the corresponding double-zeta distribution. To ensure a triple-zeta distribution and a global energy minimum, the (26s 16p 10d) sets were derived. Total atomic energies from the largest basis sets are between 198 and 284 (mu)E(sub H) above the numerical Hartree-Fock energies.

Ab initio calculations were performed to study the bonding of the first-row transition-metal ions with ethylene. While Sc(+) and Ti(+) insert into the pi bond of ethylene to form a three-membered ring, the ions V(+) through Cu(+) form an electrostatic complex with ethylene. The binding energies are compared with those from experiment and with those of comparable calculations performed previously for the metal-acetylene ion systems.

Three competing bonding mechanisms have been identified for the alkaline-earth metal superoxides: these result in a change in the optimal structure and ground state as the alkaline-earth metal becomes heavier. For example, BeO2 has a linear 3Sigma(-)g ground-state structure, whereas both CaO2 and SrO2 have C(2v)1A1 structures. For MgO2, the theoretical calculations are less definitive, as the 3A2 C(2v) structure is computed to lie only about 3 kcal/mol above the 3Sigma(-)g linear structure. The bond dissociation energies for the alkaline-earth metal superoxides have been computed using extensive Gaussian basis sets and treating electron correlation at the modified coupled-pair functional or coupled-cluster singles and doubles level with a perturbational estimate of the triple excitations.

The bonding of one to four waterligands to Mg(+) and Al(+) is studied. The bonding is very different from that found for multiple ligands bound to Na(+) or Cu(+). All the waters bind on the same side of the Mg or Al because of the polarization of the 3s orbital away from the ligands. Two benzene and methanol molecules also have a ligand-Mg-ligand angle of less than 180 deg with the angle determined by ligand-ligand repulsion.

Ab initio calculations are reported of the spectroscopic constants for the low-lying states of the molecular ions ML2(+), where M = Li, Na, Mg, V, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu, and where L is usually Ar. Comparison with existing analogous calculations on the ML(+) ions shows how the bonding and binding energy change with the addition of a second noble gas atom. The second binding energy is predicted to be essentially the same as the first for the Li, Na, Mg, and V ions, but larger for the Fe, Co, Ni and Cu ions. The binding energies of the transition metal noble gas ions are not accurately predicted at the SCF level, because correlation is required to describe their M(0)Ln(+) character. All trends can be explained in terms of promotion and hybridization on the metal ion.

A basis-set-expansion Dirac-Hartree-Fock program for molecules is described. Bond lengths and harmonic frequencies are presented for the ground states of the group 4 tetrahydrides, CH4, SiH4, GeH4, SnH4, and PbH4. The results are compared with relativistic effective core potential (RECP) calculations, first-order perturbation theory (PT) calculations and with experimental data. The bond lengths are well predicted by first-order perturbation theory for all molecules, but non of the RECP's considered provides a consistent prediction. Perturbation theory overestimates the relativistic correction to the harmonic frequencies; the RECP calculations underestimate the correction.

Equilibrium structures for the ground and the selected low-lying excited states of the first- and the second-row transition-metal dimethyls and their positive ions were determined using the basis sets and correlation approach described by Bauschlicher et al. (1989). In particular, the dimethyl insertion products were examined to elucidate the trends in bonding. Results show that the bonding in the dimethyl transition-metal positive ions arises from the sd hybridization, leading, for most dimethyls, to a C-M-C bond angle of less than 134 deg.

Energy-optimized, near Hartree-Fock (NHF) quality Gaussian type orbital (GTO) basis sets are reported for the second-row (Li to Ne) and fourth-row (K to Kr) atoms. The most accurate basis sets reported for the second row are (18s 13p) sets which are with 4 micro E(H) of the numerical Hartree-Fock (NHF) results. For B to Ne basis sets with more than 15s functions are quadruple zeta in the valence space. For the second-row transition metal atoms the (20s 12p 9d) basis sets are triple zeta in the valence space and are approximately equivalent to Clementi and Roetti's accurate Slater type orbital sets. Supplementing the (20s 12p 9d) basis sets optimized for the lowest state with the 4s(2)3d(n) occupation with a diffuse d function gives self-consistent-field energy separations to the 4s(1)3d(n+1) and 3d(n+2) states which are within 100 micro E(H) of the NHF results. The most accurate basis sets for the transition metal atoms are with 30 micro E(H) of the NHF results. In addition, energy optimized sets are reported for He(3P), Li(2P) and Be(3P).

The X1Sigma(+) ground states and a3Delta excited states of the diatomic halides of Sc and Y are characterized theoretically, using the SDCI coupled-pair functional method and the state-averaged CASSCF method to determine the spectroscopic constants and related properties. The techniques employed are discussed, and the results are presented in extensive tables. The dissociation energies are given as D0 = 6.00 eV for ScF, 4.55 eV for ScCl, 3.90 eV for ScBr, 6.72 eV for YF, 5.36 eV for YCl, and 4.74 eV for YBr.

Theoretical dissociation energies for the first- and second-row transition metal hydride positive ions are critically compared against recent experimental values obtained from ion beam reactive scattering methods. Theoretical spectroscopic parameters and dipole moments are presented for the ground and several low-lying excited states. The calculations employ large Gaussian basis sets and account for electron correlation using the single-reference single- and double-excitation configuration interaction and coupled-pair-functional methods. The Darwin and mass-velocity contributions to the relativistic energy are included in the all-electron calculations on the first-row systems using first-order perturbation theory, and in the second-row systems using the Hay and Wadt relativistic effective core potentials. The theoretical D(0) values for the second-row transition metal hydride positive ions should provide a critical measure of the experimental values, which are not as refined as many of those in the first transition row.

Theoretical calculations on metals ranging from very accurate ab initio studies of diatomic and triatomic systems to model studies of larger clusters are presented. Recent improvements in the representation of one-particle and n-particle spaces have made possible the prediction that Al2 has a 3Pi(u) ground state, even though the 3Sigma(-)g state lies within 200/cm. Results suggest that cluster geometry varies dramatically with cluster size, and that rather large clusters are required before the bulk structure becomes optimal. Al cluster studies show that three-body terms are needed for quantitative agreement with ab initio calculations.

A systematic analysis of the low-lying states of all of the second-row transition metal (TM) hydrides except CdH is reported. The calculations included the dominant relativistic contributions through the use of the relativistic effective core potentials of Hay and Wadt (1985). Electron correlation was incorporated, using single-plus-double configuration interaction, the coupled pair functional (CPF) formalism of Ahlrichs et al. (1985), and the Chong and Langhoff (1986) modified version of the CPF method. The spectroscopic parameters D(e), r(e), and mu(e) determined for the low-lying states are compared with the available experimental data and previous theoretical results. In contrast to the first-row TM hydrides studied earlier (Chong et al., 1986), the spectroscopic constants for the second-row TM hydrides were found to be much less sensitive to the level of correlation treatment.