Density functional theory computational study on the thermal cycloreversion of 2-acetoxy-2-methoxy-5,5-dimethyl-Delta3-1,3,4-oxadiazoline: evidence for a carbonyl ylide intermediate.

Three [3 + 2] cycloreversions of 2-acetoxy-2-methoxy-5,5-dimethyl-Delta(3)-1,3,4-oxadiazolines were examined by computation at the density functional level of theory. The lowest activation energies are those for cycloreversion to 2-diazopropane and acetic methylcarbonic anhydride and for cycloreversion to N(2) and a carbonyl ylide. Those are the reactions that are observed experimentally.

Comparison of localization and delocalization indices obtained with Hartree-Fock and conventional correlated methods: effect of Coulomb correlation.

Atomic populations and localization [lambda(A)] and delocalization [delta(A,B)] indices (LIs and DIs) are calculated for a large set of molecules at the Hartree-Fock (HF), MP2, MP4(SDQ), CISD, and QCISD levels with the 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set. The HF method and the conventional correlation methods [MP2, MP4(SDQ), CISD, and QCISD] yield distinct sets of LIs and DIs. Yet, within the four conventional correlation methods the differences in atomic populations and LIs and DIs are small.

A practical and efficient method to calculate AIM localization and delocalization indices at post-HF levels of theory.

A practical and efficient method is proposed for calculating localization and delocalization indices at post-Hartree-Fock levels, and the method is tested at the CISD/6-311G++(2d, 2p) level for a large set of molecules. Our method, which utilizes wave functions written in the natural molecular orbital format and obtained with GAUSSIAN 94 or GAUSSIAN 98, convincingly extends the concepts established at the HF level.