The physicochemical properties of a set of molecules containing Cu, Ag, or Au atoms were calculated using the GAUSSIAN program suite, with the purpose of investigating the various density functional theory (DFT) approaches for subsequent application in cluster calculations. The test set comprised the copper-based molecules CuH, CuO, CuS, Cu2, CuCl2 -, CuCH3, CuC2H2, Cu2(HCO2)4(H2O)2, and Cu6H6(PH3)6 and the silver and gold diatomics AgH, AgO, AgS, Ag2, AgCu, AuH, AuO, AuS, Au2, AuCu, and AuAg. The DFT methods used were SVWN, BLYP, and BPW91, together with the DFT hybrids B3LYP and B3PW91. The calculations were carried out with the basis sets LANL2MB, LANL2DZ, 3-21G, and 6-311G (when available). The properties calculated were the molecular geometry, vibrational frequencies, and dissociation energies. It was found that all the DFT-based methods, particularly when allied with the LANL2DZ basis set, produced results which are significantly closer to experimental values than those of the traditional Moller−Plesset (MP2) electron correlation method and which are also applicable to considerably larger molecules. Over the whole test set of molecules, the RMS errors of the four “BX” methods, in conjunction with LANL2DZ, were typically 3−4% for geometries, 6−8% for frequencies, and 10−16% for dissociation energies, with BPW91 and the popular B3LYP at the lower and upper ends of these ranges, respectively, and with the errors being overestimates and underestimates, respectively. The corresponding values for SVWN and MP2 were 2% and 6%, 12% and 12%, and 33% and 42%, with these errors typically being ± and +, + and −, and + and −, with + and − representing overestimates and underestimates, respectively. While the best bond lengths are produced by SVWN (a local spin density approximation), which is not uncommmon, this advantage over the gradient corrected (BX) methods is only slight, and the latter are markedly superior for frequencies and especially dissociation energies. Not supported by the present results are the notions that (all) pure DFT methods underestimate metal−ligand bond lengths and overestimate bond strengths and that hybrid methods are superior (and neither that DFT methods are overcorrelated). Testing on a subset of molecules with BPW91/LANL2DZ revealed no benefit in supplementing this basis set by the addition of diffuse functions, nor of the counterpoise correction. There appear to be specific incompatibilities with some method/basis set combinations, and even the continuing availability of 3-21G for these metals is questionable. Because of its accuracy and reliability, the combination BPW91/LANL2DZ is recommended for these noble-metal systems (and to extensions such as the cluster-model approach to adsorption of a molecule on a metal surface).

The hydrogen-bonded and van der Waals isomers of phenol⋅⋅nitrogen and phenol⋅⋅carbon monoxide in their neutral electronic (S0) and cation ground state (D0) were studied using ab initio HF/6-31G*, MP2/6-31G*, and B3LYP/6-31G* methods. The hydrogen-bonded isomers have the ligand bound via the hydroxyl group of the phenol ring, while the van der Waals isomers studied have the ligand located above the aromatic ring. For both complexes, the hydrogen-bonded isomer was found to be the most stable form for both the S0 and the D0 states. For phenol⋅⋅carbon monoxide, twice as many isomers as compared to phenol⋅⋅nitrogen were found. The hydrogen-bonded isomer with the carbon end bonded to the hydroxyl group was the most stable structure for both the S0 and the D0 states.

The HeI photoelectron spectra of pentane-2,4-dione measured at various temperatures have been subjected to a spectrum-stripping technique to enable isolation of the complete HeI photoelectron spectra of the keto and enol tautomers. The resulting spectrum-stripping coefficients allow evaluation of the enolization equilibrium constant at each temperature and subsequently the enthalpy of enolization. Interpretation of the photoelectron spectra is achieved with the use of ab initio molecular orbital calculations. Photoionization of non-bonding oxygen, and π -type electrons, contribute to the low ionization energy region of the spectrum, with a πCC < no- <πCO ordering for the enol tautpmer , and no- < no+ < πCO+ for the keto tautomer . Because of different electronic relaxation effects, ∆SCF calculations are required to predict correctly the observed πCC/no- spacing for the enol tautomer.

The analysis of the zero-electron-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectra of benzene has led to a reinvestigation by ab initio methods of the electronic states of the C6H6+ cation resulting from Jahn–Teller distortions on ionization. The calculations involving a range of currently used methodologies all verify that the two cation configurations, B2g2 and B3g2 of D2h symmetry, resulting from removal of an electron from the e1g(π) degenerate MOs of C6H6, comprise a true minimum and a transition state, differing only slightly in energy. These are linked through the in-plane b1g vibration, confirming that b1g is actually a pseudorotational coordinate. Hence C6H6+ exhibits similar structural floppiness to the cations of methane and cyclopropane although with a much smaller barrier to pseudorotation than for these smaller species. These results support the general proposition that such Jahn–Teller distortions associated with molecular ionization (of stable closed-shell hydrocarbon molecules of high symmetry) generally involve a quadratic contribution which leads to a single global minimum cation structure, with all other derived stationary states being transition states each characterized by a single imaginary vibration frequency.

Molecular orbital calculations were used to investigate the fragmentation of deprotonated glucopyranosyl disaccharides. Based on data from collisional activation and isotopic labeling experiments, fragmentation mechanisms are proposed, with calculated transition states being used to study the energetics of fragmentation. The calculations suggest that deprotonation at the C(2) hydroxyl of the non‐reducing ring, following ring opening, may be important for disaccharide fragmentation. It is also shown that the stereochemistry at the 2‐position of the non‐reducing ring may have a significant effect on disaccharide fragmentation, particularly with regard to determination of the anomeric configuration. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.