Applications of Electronic Structure Theory

These two volumes deal with the quantum theory of the electronic structure of ab initio is the notion that approximate solutions molecules. Implicit in the term of Schrodinger's equation are sought "from the beginning," i. e. , without recourse to experimental data. From a more pragmatic viewpoint, the distin­ guishing feature of ab initio theory is usually the fact that no approximations are involved in the evaluation of the required molecular integrals. Consistent with current activity in the field, the first of these two volumes contains chapters dealing with methods per se, while the second concerns the application of these methods to problems of chemical interest. In a sense, the motivation for these volumes has been the spectacular recent success of ab initio theory in resolving important chemical questions. However, these applications have only become possible through the less visible but equally important efforts of those developing new theoretical and computational methods and models. Henry F. Schaefer vii Contents Contents of Volume 3 xv Chapter 1. A Priori Geometry Predictions 1. A. Pople 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Equilibrium Geometries by Hartree-Fock Theory 2 2. 1. Restricted and Unrestricted Hartree-Fock Theories 2 2. 2. Basis Sets for Hartree-Fock Studies . . . . . 4 2. 3. Hartree-Fock Structures for Small Molecules . 6 2. 4. Hartree-Fock Structures for Larger Molecules 12 3. Equilibrium Geometries with Correlation . . 18 4. Predictive Structures for Radicals and Cations 20 5. Conclusions 23 References 24 Chapter 2. Barriers to Rotation and Inversion Philip W. Payne and Leland C.