Computation of geometries and frequencies of singlet and triplet nitromethane with density functional theory byusing gaussian type orbitals

The results of the computational study of the structures, energies, dipole moments and IR spectra for a singlet and a triplet nitromethane are presented. Five different hybrids (BHandH, BHandHLYP, B3LYP, B3P86 and B3PW91), local (SVWN), and nonlocal (BLYP) DFT methods are used with various sizes of the gaussian type of basis set. The obtained results are compared to the HF, MP2, and MCSCF ab initio calculations, as well as, to the experimental results. Becke's three functional based hybrid DFT methods outperform the following: the ab initio (HF, MP2 and MCSCF), the Becke's half-and-half based DFT methods, and the local (SVWN or LSDA) and nonlocal (BLYP) DFT methods. The computed nitromethane geometry, the dipole moment, the energy difference, and the IR frequency are in extraordinary agreement with the experimental results. Thus, we are recommending the B3LYP and the B3PW91 as the methods of choice when the computational study of small open-quotes difficultclose quotes molecules is considered