Theoretical Methods That Help Understanding the Structure and Reactivity of Gas Phase Ions
International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 240 (2005) 37–99 Review Theoretical methods that help understanding the structure and reactivity of gas phase ions J.M. Merceroa, J.M. Matxaina, X. Lopeza, D.M. Yorkb, A. Largoc, L.A. Erikssond,e, J.M. Ugaldea,∗ a Kimika Fakultatea, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, P.K. 1072, 20080 Donostia, Euskadi, Spain b Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0431, USA c Departamento de Qu´ımica-F´ısica, Universidad de Valladolid, Prado de la Magdalena, 47005 Valladolid, Spain d Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Box 596, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden e Department of Natural Sciences, Orebro¨ University, 701 82 Orebro,¨ Sweden Received 27 May 2004; accepted 14 September 2004 Available online 25 November 2004 Abstract The methods of the quantum electronic structure theory are reviewed and their implementation for the gas phase chemistry emphasized. Ab initio molecular orbital theory, density functional theory, quantum Monte Carlo theory and the methods to calculate the rate of complex chemical reactions in the gas phase are considered. Relativistic effects, other than the spin–orbit coupling effects, have not been considered. Rather than write down the main equations without further comments on how they were obtained, we provide the reader with essentials of the background on which the theory has been developed and the equations derived. We committed ourselves to place equations in their own proper perspective, so that the reader can appreciate more profoundly the subtleties of the theory underlying the equations themselves. Finally, a number of examples that illustrate the application of the theory are presented and discussed.
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