Intermolecular interactions of trifluorohalomethanes with Lewis bases in the gas phase: an ab initio study.

We perform an ab initio computational study of molecular complexes with the general formula CF3X-B that involve one trifluorohalomethane CF3X (X = Cl or Br) and one of a series of Lewis bases B in the gas phase. The Lewis bases are so chosen that they provide a range of electron-donating abilities for comparison. Based on the characteristics of their electron pairs, we consider the Lewis bases with a single n-pair (NH3 and PH3), two n-pairs (H2O and H2S), two n-pairs with an unsaturated bond (H2CO and H2CS), and a single π-pair (C2H4) and two π-pairs (C2H2).

Liquid chloroform structure from computer simulation with a full ab initio intermolecular interaction potential.

We have calculated the intermolecular interaction energies of the chloroform dimer in 12 orientations using the second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory. Single point energies of important geometries were calibrated by the coupled cluster with single and double and perturbative triple excitation method. Dunning's correlation consistent basis sets up to aug-cc-pVQZ have been employed in extrapolating the interaction energies to the complete basis set limit values.