Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.116, No.3, 1072-1076, 1994
The Cope Rearrangement Revisited Again - Results of Ab-Initio Calculations Beyond the Casscf Level
Calculations on the chair and boat Cope rearrangements have been performed at the CASPT2N level of theory, in which second-order perturbation theory is used to provide electron correlation beyond that included at the CASSCF level. Unlike previous CASSCF calculations with the 6-31G* basis set, CASPT2N calculations with 6-31G*, 6-311G**, and 6-311G(2d,2p) all find a single stationary point of C-2h symmetry for the chair and C-2v symmetry for the boat, which corresponds to the transition state for a reaction in which bond making and bond breaking are synchronous. The CASPT2N energetics are in much better agreement with experiment than are those computed at the CASSCF/ 6-31G* level, as is the CASPT2N finding that the Cope rearrangement is concerted and does not involve the formation of a diradical intermediate.
Keywords:MOLECULAR-ORBITAL METHODS;TRANSITION-STATES;PERICYCLIC-REACTIONS;MULTIBOND REACTIONS;BASIS SET;CHAIR;1;5-HEXADIENE;SECONDARY;MECHANISM;ABINITIO