The calculation of intermolecular interaction energies

Abstract

All life on our earth can be viewed as an application of supramolecular chemistry, with noncovalent interactions playing a central role. The knowledge of total interaction energies as well as their components is topical for understanding the nature of these interactions and, in a broader sense, also for understanding the nature of stabilization of noncovalent systems like biomacromolecules. Accurate data on interaction energies can only be obtained from coupled-cluster with single and double and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)) calculations performed with extended basis sets. The CCSDD(T) calculations thus provide benchmark data which can be used for testing and/or parameterizing other, computationally economical techniques. In the present review the applicability and performance of various recently introduced wavefunction and density functional methods are examined in detail.