Post-Hartree-Fock effects

Ab initio calculations can be performed at the Hartree-Fock level of approximation, equivalent to a self-consistent-field (SCF) calculation, or at a post Hartree-Fock level which includes the effects of correlation — defined to be everything that the Hartree-Fock level of approximation leaves out of a non-relativistic solution to the Schrodinger equation (within the clamped-nuclei Born-Oppenhe-imer approximation). 

One of the simplest chemical reactions involving a barrier, H2 + H —> [H—H—H] —> II + H2, has been investigated in some detail in a number of publications. The theoretical description of this hydrogen abstraction sequence turns out to be quite involved for post-Hartree-Fock methods and is anything but a trivial task for density functional theory approaches. Table 13-7 shows results reported by Johnson et al., 1994, and Csonka and Johnson, 1998, for computed classical barrier heights (without consideration of zero-point vibrational corrections or tunneling effects) obtained with various methods. The CCSD(T) result of 9.9 kcal/mol is probably very accurate and serves as a reference (the experimental barrier, which of course includes zero-point energy contributions, amounts to 9.7 kcal/mol). 

How does a rigorously calculated electrostatic potential depend upon the computational level at which was obtained p(r) Most ab initio calculations of V(r) for reasonably sized molecules are based on self-consistent field (SCF) or near Hartree-Fock wavefunctions and therefore do not reflect electron correlation in the computation of p(r). It is true that the availability of supercomputers and high-powered work stations has made post-Hartree-Fock calculations of V(r) (which include electron correlation) a realistic possibility even for molecules with 5 to 10 first-row atoms however, there is reason to believe that such computational levels are usually not necessary and not warranted. The Mpller-Plesset theorem states that properties computed from Hartree-Fock wave functions using one-electron operators, as is T(r), are correct through first order (Mpller and Plesset 1934) any errors are no more than second-order effects. 

The SCRF approach became a standard tool167 for estimating solvent effects and was combined with various quantum chemical methods that range from semi-empirical161 to the post-Hartree-Fock ab initio ones. It can also be combined with the Kohn-Sham formalism where the Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian (Eq. 4.2) is used for the gas-phase Hamiltonian in Eq. 4.15. The effective Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian for the system embedded in the dielectric environment takes the following form ... 

As it is now very well known, accurate studies of the water-water interaction by means of ab-initio techniques require the use of larger and flexible basis sets and methods which consider correlation effects [85,94-96], Since high level ab-initio post-Hartree-Fock calculations are unfeasible because of their high computational cost for systems with many degrees of freedom, Density Functional Theory, more economical from the computational point of view, is being more and more considered as a viable alternative. Recently, we have presented [97] results of structural parameters and vibrational frequencies for the water clusters (H20) , n=2 to 8, using the DFT method with gradient corrected density functionals. 

With the success of these calculations for isolated molecules, we began a systematic series of supermolecule calculations. As discussed previously, these are ab initio molecular orbital calculations over a cluster of nuclear centers representing two or more molecules. Self-consistent field calculations include all the electrostatic, penetration, exchange, and induction portions of the intermolecular interaction energy, but do not treat the dispersion effects which can be treated by the post Hartree-Fock techniques for electron correlation [91]. The major problems of basis set superposition errors (BSSE) [82] are primarily associated with the calculation of the energy. 

Quantum mechanical calculations are carried out using the Variational theorem and the Har-tree-Fock-Roothaan equations.t - Solution of the Hartree-Fock-Roothaan equations must be carried out in an iterative fashion. This procedure has been called self-consistent field (SCF) theory, because each electron is calculated as interacting with a general field of all the other electrons. This process underestimates the electron correlation. In nature, electronic motion is correlated such that electrons avoid one another. There are perturbation procedures whereby one may carry out post-Hartree-Fock calculations to take electron correlation effects into account. " It is generally agreed that electron correlation gives more accurate results, particularly in terms of energy. 

---