Heats of formation of beryllium, boron, aluminum, and silicon re-examined by means of W4 theory

Benchmark total atomization energies (TAE(0) values) were obtained, by means of our recent W4 theory [Karton, A.; Rabinowitz, E.; Martin, J. M. L.; Ruscic, B. J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 125, 144108], for the molecules Be-2, BeF2, BeCl2, BH, BF, BH3, BHF2, B2H6, BF3, AlF, AlF3, AlCl3, SiH4, Si2H6, and SiF4. We were then able to deduce "semi-experimental" heats of formation for the elements beryllium, boron, aluminum, and silicon by combining the calculated TAE(0) values with experimental heats of formation obtained from reactions that do not involve the species Be(g), B(g), Al(g), and Si(g). The elemental heats of formation are fundamental thermochemical quantities that are required whenever a molecular heat of formation has to be derived from a calculated binding energy. Our recommended Delta H-f,H-0 degrees[A(g)] values are Be 76.4 +/- 0.6 kcal/mol, B 135.1 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol, Al 80.2 +/- 0.4 kcal/mol, and Si 107.2 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol. (The corresponding values at 298.15 K are 77.4, 136.3, 80.8, and 108.2 kcal/mol, respectively.) The Be value is identical to the CODATA recommendation (but with half of the uncertainty), while the B, Al, and Si values represent substantial revisions from established earlier reference data. The revised B and Si values are in agreement with earlier semi-ab initio derivations but carry much smaller uncertainties.