Application of an efficient multireference approach to free-base porphin and metalloporphyrins: Ground, excited, and positive ion states

Abstract

The improved virtual orbital-complete active space configuration interaction (IVO-CASCI) method is applied to determine the geometries of the ground state of free-base porphin and its metal derivatives, magnesium and zinc porphyrins. The vertical excitation energies and ionization potentials are computed at these optimized geometries using an IVO-based version of multireference Möller-Plesset (IVO-MRMP) perturbation theory. The geometries and excitation energies obtained from the IVO-CASCI and IVO-MRMP methods agree well with experiment and with other correlated many-body methods. We also provide the ground state vibrational frequencies for free-base porphin and Mg-porphyrin. All frequencies are real in contrast to self-consistent field treatments which yield an imaginary frequency. Ground state normal mode frequencies (scaled) of free-base porphin and magnesium porphyrin from IVO-CASCI and complete active space self-consistent field methods are quite similar and are consistent with Becke-Slater-Hartree-Fock exchange and Lee-Yang-Parr correlation density functional theory calculations and with experiment. In addition, geometries are determined for low-lying excited state triplets and for positive ion states of the molecules. To our knowledge, no prior experimental and theoretical data are available for these excited state geometries of magnesium and zinc porphyrins. Given that the IVO-CASCI and IVO-MRMP computed geometries and excitation energies agree favorably with experiment and with available theoretical data, our predicted excited state geometries should be equally accurate.