Here we present a structural study of different gas hydrates using the B3LYP hybrid DFT exchange-correlation functional. A new concept for viewing the icosahedral cluster as an expansion of dodecahedral subclusters is introduced. The investigated structures consist of 280 water molecules. Structural and orientational features of various guest molecules occupying the central cavity of the clusters are established. It was found that water as the guest molecule has the highest stabilization energy in studied clusters. The conformational changes in dimer and trimer water molecules upon incorporation into hydrate cavity are discussed. The influence of second-and third-order solvent shells is illustrated on example of icosahedral water cluster derivatives. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.