Divalent propargylenic C2H2M group 14 elements:Structures and singlet–triplet energy splittings (M=C, Si, Ge, Sn and Pb)

Performance of Møller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory and density functional theory in predicting the interaction between stannylenes and aromatic molecules

The performances of Møller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2) and density functional theory (DFT) have been assessed for the purposes of investigating the interaction between stannylenes and aromatic molecules. The complexes between SnX2 (where X = H, F, Cl, Br, and I) and benzene or pyridine are considered. Structural and energetic properties of such complexes are calculated using six MP2-type and 14 DFT methods. The assessment of the above-mentioned methods is based on the comparison of the structures and interaction energies predicted by these methods with reference computational data. A very detailed analysis of the performances of the MP2-type and DFT methods is carried out for two complexes, namely SnH2-benzene and SnH2-pyridine. Of the MP2-type methods, the reference structure of SnH2-benzene is reproduced best by SOS-MP2, whereas SCS-MP2 is capable of mimicking the reference structure of SnH2-pyridine with the greatest accuracy. The latter method performs best in predicting the interaction energy between SnH2 and benzene or pyridine. Among the DFT methods, ωB97X provides the structures and interaction energies of the SnH2-benzene and SnH2-pyridine complexes with good accuracy. However, this density functional is not as effective in reproducing the reference data for the two complexes as the best performing MP2-type methods. Next, the DFT methods are evaluated using the full test set of SnX2-benzene and SnX2-pyridine complexes. It is found that the range-separated hybrid or dispersion-corrected density functionals should be used for describing the interaction in such complexes with reasonable accuracy.

From acetylene complexes to vinylidene structures: The GeC(2) H(2) system

The expansion of germanium chemistry in recent years has been rapid. In anticipation of new experiments, a systematic theoretical investigation of the eight low lying electronic singlet GeC(2) H(2) stationary points is carried out. This research used ab initio self-consistent-field (SCF), coupled cluster (CC) with single and double excitations (CCSD), and CCSD with perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] levels of theory and a variety of correlation-consistent polarized valence cc-pVXZ and cc-pVXZ-DK (Douglas-Kroll) (where X = D, T, and Q) basis sets. At all levels of theory used in this study, the global minimum of the GeC(2) H(2) potential energy surface (PES) is confirmed to be 1-germacyclopropenylidene (Ge-1S). Among the eight singlet stationary points, seven structures are found to be local minima and one structure (Ge-6S) to be a second-order saddle point. For the seven singlet minima, the energy ordering and energy differences (in kcal mol(-1) , with the zero-point vibrational energy corrected values in parentheses) at the cc-pVQZ-DK (Douglas-Kroll) CCSD(T) level of theory are predicted to be 1-germacyclopropenylidene (Ge-1S) [0.0 (0.0)] < vinylidenegermylene (Ge-3S) [13.9 (13.5)] < ethynylgermylene (Ge-2S) [17.9 (14.8)] < Ge-7S [37.4 (33.9)] < syn-3-germapropenediylidene (Ge-8S) [41.2 (37.9)] < germavinylidenecarbene (Ge-5S) [66.6 (61.6)] < nonplanar germacyclopropyne (Ge-4S) [67.8 (63.3)]. These seven isomers are all well below the dissociation limit to Ge ((3) P) + C(2) H(2) (X (1) Σ g+). This system seems particularly well poised for matrix isolation infrared (IR) experiments.