Fitting atomic correlation parameters for RECEP (rapid estimation of correlation energy from partial charges) method to estimate molecular correlation energies within chemical accuracy

The accuracy of the RECEP method [Chem Phys 1997, 224, 33 and Chem Phys Lett 1999, 307, 469] has been increased considerably by the use of fitted atomic correlation parameters. This method allows an extremely rapid, practically prompt calculation of the correlation energy of molecules after an HF‐SCF calculation. The G2 level correlation energy and HF‐SCF charge distribution of 41 closed‐shell neutral molecules (composed of H, C, N, O, and F atoms) of the G2 thermochemistry database were used to obtain the fitted RECEP atomic correlation parameters. Four different mathematical definitions of partial charges, as a multiple choice, were used to calculate the molecular correlation energies. The best results were obtained using the natural population analysis, although the other three are also recommended for use. For the 41 molecules, the G2 results were approached within a 1.8 kcal/mol standard deviation (the mean absolute difference was 1.5 kcal/mol). The RECEP atomic correlation parameters were also tested on a different, nonoverlapping set of other 24 molecules from the G2 thermochemistry database. The G2 results of these 24 molecules were approached within a 2.3 kcal/mol standard deviation (the mean absolute difference was 1.9 kcal/mol). This method is recommended to estimate total correlation energies of closed shell ground‐state neutral molecules at stationary (minimums and transition states) points on the potential surface. Extension of the work for charged molecules, radicals, and molecules containing other atoms is straightforward. Numerical example as a recipe is also provided. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 241–254, 2001