Interaction between n-alkane chains:: Applicability of the empirically corrected density functional theory for van der Waals complexes

The geometries, interaction energies, and vibrational frequencies of a series of n-alkane dimers up to dodecane have been calculated using density functional theory (DFT) augmented with an empirical dispersion energy term (DFT-D). The results obtained from this method for ethane to hexane dimers are compared with those provided by the MP2 level of theory and the combined Gaussian-3 approach with CCSD(T) being the highest correlation method [G3(CCSD(T))]. Two types of dimer isomers have been studied. The most stable isomers have the two carbon chains in parallel planes, whereas the second ones have the two carbon chains in the same plane. Butane is found to be the shortest carbon chain to form dimers with similar properties, that is, a constant average distance between the monomer carbon skeletons, a similar increment per CH2 unit for the dimer interaction energy, and comparable dimer symmetric stretching frequencies. The values and trends obtained from the DFT-D approach agree very well with those obtained from MP2 for the geometries and vibrational frequencies and from the G3(CCSD(T)) method for the energies, validating the use of DFT-D for the study of large hydrocarbon complexes.