Intermolecular potential energy surfaces and spectra of Ne–HCN complex from ab initio calculations

Ab initio calculations of five two-dimensional intermolecular potential energy surfaces of the Ne–HCN dimer have been performed using the symmetry-adapted perturbation theory and the supermolecular method at different levels of electron correlation. A basis set of spdf-symmetry orbitals (including midbond functions) was used. HCN was assumed linear with interatomic distances fixed at their vibrationally averaged 〈r−2〉−1/2 values. Fits to all calculated potential energy surfaces were obtained in the form of angular expansions incorporating the ab initio asymptotic coefficients. It has been found that high-order correlation effects are very important for Ne–HCN and contribute about 20% to the well depth. All of the five surfaces feature a global minimum at the linear Ne–HCN geometry and a narrow and relatively flat valley surrounding HCN. Rovibrational calculations on the surfaces yielded rotational spectra and a rotational constant whose relative differences from their experimental counterparts range from ...