title: Comparative DFT study of van der Waals complexes: rare-gas dimers, alkaline-earth dimers, zinc dimer, and zinc-rare-gas dimers.
abstract: Recent interest in the application of density functional theory prompted us to test various functionals for the van der Waals interactions in the rare-gas dimers, the alkaline-earth metal dimers, zinc dimer, and zinc-rare-gas dimers. In the present study, we report such tests for 18 DFT functionals, including both some very recent functionals and some well-established older ones. We draw the following conclusions based on the mean errors in binding energies and complex geometries: (1) B97-1 gives the best performance for predicting the geometry of rare-gas dimers, whereas M05-2X and B97-1 give the best energetics for rare-gas dimers. (2) PWB6K gives the best performance for the prediction of the geometry of the alkaline-earth metal dimers, zinc dimers, and zinc-rare-gas dimers. M05-2X gives the best energetics for the metal dimers, whereas B97-1 gives the best energetics for the zinc-rare-gas dimers. (3) The M05 functional is unique in providing good accuracy for both covalent transition-metal dimers and van der Waals metal dimers. (4) The combined mean percentage unsigned error in geometries and energetics shows that M05-2X and MPWB1K are the overall best methods for the prediction of van der Waals interactions in metal and rare-gas van der Waals dimers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, USA.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Donald G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Truhlar
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D019281:Dimerization; D008673:Metals, Alkaline Earth / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008956:Models, Chemical; D005741:Noble Gases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011789:Quantum Theory; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008673:Metals, Alkaline Earth; D005741:Noble Gases; D015032:Zinc