title: On the position of the potential wall in DFT temporary anion calculations.
abstract: A simple method was recently proposed [D. J. Tozer and F. De Proft, J. Chem. Phys., 2007, 127, 034108] for performing explicit density functional theory (DFT) calculations on temporary anions. The excess electron in the anion is bound by a potential wall, the position of which is determined by a single parameter lambda, chosen to reproduce an approximate, theoretical negative electron affinity in the corresponding neutral. In the present study, the system-dependence of lambda and the sensitivity of the negative affinities to this parameter are investigated for 34 organic molecules. The results demonstrate that the system-dependent lambda values can be replaced by a global, average value, with minimal effect on the affinities. It follows that the orbitals, electron density, and other properties of a temporary anion can be determined from a single DFT calculation on that anion, using a large, diffuse basis set. As an illustration, singly occupied molecular orbitals and spin densities are determined for the anions of guanine and adenine nucleobases. Despite the use of a diffuse basis set, the method yields quantities that are localised in the molecular framework, associated with vertical electron affinities of -1.2 eV and -0.8 eV, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Eenheid Algemene Chemie (ALGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sablon
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Proft
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geerlings
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tozer
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000737:chemistry*; D000838:Anions / Q000737:chemistry*; D006147:Guanine / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D006147:Guanine; D000225:Adenine