Basis set requirements for sulfur compounds in density functional theory: a comparison between correlation-consistent, polarized-consistent, and pople-type basis sets

We have investigated the SX (X = first- or second-row atom), SO2, and SO3 molecules employing the correlation-consistent (cc), the recently developed polarization-consistent (pc), and three Pople-type basis sets, in conjunction with the B3LYP functional. The results confirmed that the aug-pc basis sets represent a great contribution in terms of cost-benefits. In the case of the B3LYP functional, when employing the aug-pc-3 and aug-pc-4 basis sets, it is possible to obtain results that are of aug-cc-pV(5+d)Z and aug-cc-pV(6+d)Z quality, respectively, at a much lower cost. The estimations obtained employing smaller members of the family are of nearly double-zeta quality and do not provide reliable results. There is no basis set of quadruple-zeta quality among the polarized-consistent basis sets, although in terms of composition, the aug-pc-3 basis set is a QZ basis set. A precise estimation of the Kohn-Sham complete basis set (CBS) limit with the aug-pc-X basis sets is too difficult for the B3LYP functional because the infinity(aug-pc-4, aug-pc-3, aug-pc-2) extrapolation gives the same results as those of the aug-pc-4 basis set. This is in contrast with the results observed for ab initio methodologies for which the largest basis sets provided the best estimation of the CBS limit. In our opinion, the closest results to the B3LYP/CBS limit are expected to be those obtained with a two-point extrapolation employing the aug-cc-pV(X+d)Z (X = 5, 6) basis sets. The results obtained with this extrapolation are very close to those predicted by the infinity(aug-pc-3, aug-pc-2, aug-pc-1) extrapolation, and that provides a cheaper but more inaccurate alternative to estimate the CBS limit. Minor problems were found for the aug-pc-X basis sets and the B3LYP functional for molecules in which sulfur is bound to a very electronegative element, such as SO, SF, SO2, and SO3. For these molecules, the cc basis sets were demonstrated to be more useful. The importance of tight d functions was observed; the total atomization energy Of SO2 employing the cc-pV6Z basis set is 1 kcal/mol lower than that obtained with the aug-cc-pV(6+d)Z basis set.