Dissociation of ground and nsigma* states of CF3Cl using multireference configuration interaction with singles and doubles and with multireference average quadratic coupled cluster extensivity corrections.

Extended complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF), multireference configuration interaction with singles and doubles (MR-CISD), and multireference average quadratic coupled cluster (MR-AQCC) calculations have been performed on the ground (S(0)) and first excited (nsigma(*),S(1)) states of the CF(3)Cl molecule. Full geometry optimizations have been carried out for S(0) as well as "relaxed" potential energy calculations for both states, along the C-Cl bond distance. Vertical excitation energies (DeltaE(vertical)), dissociation energies (DeltaE(diss)), dissociation enthalpies (DeltaH(diss)), and the oscillator strength (f) have also been computed. Basis set effects, basis set superposition error (BSSE), and spin-orbit and size-extensivity corrections have also been considered. The general agreement between theoretical and available experimental results is very good. The best results for the equilibrium geometrical parameters of S(0) (at MR-AQCCaug-cc-pVTZ+d level) are 1.762 and 1.323 A, for the C-Cl and C-F bond distances, respectively, while the corresponding experimental values are 1.751 and 1.328 A. The angle and angle bond angles are in excellent agreement with the corresponding experimental values (110.3 degrees and 108.6 degrees ). The best calculated values for DeltaE(vertical), DeltaH(diss), and f are 7.63 eV [at the MR-AQCCaug-cc-pV(T+d)Z level], 3.59 eV[MR-AQCCaug-cc-pV(T+d)Z level+spin-orbit and BSSE corrections], and 2.74x10(-3) (MR-CISD/cc-pVTZ), in comparison with the corresponding experimental values of 7.7+/-0.1 eV, 3.68 eV, and 3.12 x 10(-3)+/-2.50 x 10(-4). The results concerning the potential energy curves for S(0) and S(1) show a tendency toward the nonoccurrence of crossing between these two states (in the intermediate region along the C-Cl coordinate), as the basis set size increases. Such tendency is accompanied by a decreasing well depth for the S(1) state. Dynamic electronic correlation (especially at the MR-AQCC level) is also an important factor toward an absence of crossing along the C-Cl coordinate. Further investigations of a possible crossing using gradient driven techniques (at CASSCF and MR-CISD levels) seem to confirm its absence.