Hartree-Fock approximation activation energies

The calculation of Mitroy started by calculating the Hartree—Fock approximation to the ground state 3s where we denote the states by the orbitals of the two active electrons in the configuration with the largest coefficient, in addition to the symmetry notation. The calculation used the analytic method with the basis set of Clementi and Roetti (1974) augmented by further Slater-type orbitals in order to give flexibility for the description of unoccupied orbitals. The total energy calculated by this method was —199.614 61, which should be compared with the result of a numerical Hartree—Fock calculation, —199.614 64. 

Both 3-21G and 6-3IG Hartree-Fock models provide better and more consistent results in supplying reactant and transition-state geometries than the AMI calculations. Also the two Hartree-Fock models (unlike the AMI model) find reasonable transition states for all reactions. With only a few exceptions, activation energies calculated using approximate geometries differ from exact values by only 1-2 kcal/mol. 

Despite these restrictions, the GVB and SC methods generally provide energies that are much closer in quality to CASSCF than to Hartree Fock (19), and wave functions that are close to the CASSCF wave function having the same number of electrons and orbitals in the active space. This property has been used to devise a fast method to get approximate SC wave functions. 

The set of atomic orbitals Xk is called a basis set, and the quality of the basis set will usually dictate the accuracy of the calculations. For example, the interaction energy between an active site and an adsorbate molecule might be seriously overestimated because of excessive basis set superposition error (BSSE) if the number of atomic orbitals taken in Eq. [4] is too small. Note that Hartree-Fock theory does not describe correlated electron motion. Models that go beyond the FiF approximation and take electron correlation into account are termed post-Flartree-Fock models. Extensive reviews of post-HF models based on configurational interaction (Cl) theory, Moller-Plesset (MP) perturbation theory, and coupled-cluster theory can be found in other chapters of this series. ... 

A many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) approach has been combined with the polarizable continuum model (PCM) of the electrostatic solvation. The first approximation called by authors the perturbation theory at energy level (PTE) consists of the solution of the PCM problem at the Hartree-Fock level to find the solvent reaction potential and the wavefunction for the calculation of the MBPT correction to the energy. In the second approximation, called the perturbation theory at the density matrix level only (PTD), the calculation of the reaction potential and electrostatic free energy is based on the MBPT corrected wavefunction for the isolated molecule. At the next approximation (perturbation theory at the energy and density matrix level, PTED), both the energy and the wave function are solvent reaction field and MBPT corrected. The self-consistent reaction field model has been also applied within the complete active space self-consistent field (CAS SCF) theory and the eomplete aetive space second-order perturbation theory. ... 

If RCI expansions are used or orbitals are subdivided into inactive and active groups, or both, then variation of the orbitals themselves may lead to an essential energy decrease (in contrast to the FCI method where it does not happen). Such combined methods that require both optimization of Cl coefficients and LCAO coefficients in MOs are called MCSCF methods. Compared with the Cl method, the calculation of the various expansion coefficients is significantly more complicated, and, as for the Hartree-Fock-Roothaan approximation, one has to obtain these using an iterative approach, i.e. the solution has to be self-consistent (this gives the label SCF). 

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