TY - GEN

T1 - A comparison of density functional theory and coupled cluster methods for the calculation of electric dipole polarizability gradients of methane

AU - Paidarová, Ivana

AU - Sauer, Stephan P. A.

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - We have compared the performance of density functional theory (DFT) using five different exchange-correlation functionals with four coupled cluster theory based wave function methods in the calculation of geometrical derivatives of the polarizability tensor of methane. The polarizability gradients of hydrocarbons are important ingredients in the simulation of their electron energy loss spectra and reliable but cost-effective methods for obtaining the gradients need to be found. In the present work we present results of a systematic investigation on methane as a prototype molecule with special focus on DFT methods. The KT3, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, B97-2 and PBE0 DFT exchange-correlation functionals and the highly correlated wave function methods SOPPA(CCSD), CCSD-LR, CCSD and CCSD(T) were employed in combination with a series of eleven basis sets. Comparison of the DFT results with CCSD(T)/daug-cc-pVQZ reference values reveals that none of the investigated DFT approaches reaches the accuracy of correlated wave function based methods and that the best DFT results are obtained with the PBE0 exchange-correlation functional and Sadlej's polarized valence triple zeta basis set. The SOPPA(CCSD) method, on the other hand, produces results in close agreement with the more expensive pure coupled cluster methods.

AB - We have compared the performance of density functional theory (DFT) using five different exchange-correlation functionals with four coupled cluster theory based wave function methods in the calculation of geometrical derivatives of the polarizability tensor of methane. The polarizability gradients of hydrocarbons are important ingredients in the simulation of their electron energy loss spectra and reliable but cost-effective methods for obtaining the gradients need to be found. In the present work we present results of a systematic investigation on methane as a prototype molecule with special focus on DFT methods. The KT3, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, B97-2 and PBE0 DFT exchange-correlation functionals and the highly correlated wave function methods SOPPA(CCSD), CCSD-LR, CCSD and CCSD(T) were employed in combination with a series of eleven basis sets. Comparison of the DFT results with CCSD(T)/daug-cc-pVQZ reference values reveals that none of the investigated DFT approaches reaches the accuracy of correlated wave function based methods and that the best DFT results are obtained with the PBE0 exchange-correlation functional and Sadlej's polarized valence triple zeta basis set. The SOPPA(CCSD) method, on the other hand, produces results in close agreement with the more expensive pure coupled cluster methods.

U2 - 10.1063/1.4771790

DO - 10.1063/1.4771790

M3 - Conference article

VL - 1504

SP - 695

EP - 698

JO - A I P Conference Proceedings

JF - A I P Conference Proceedings

SN - 1551-7616

T2 - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IN SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING 2009

Y2 - 29 September 2009 through 4 October 2009

ER -