An ab initio calculation of the zero-field splitting parameters of the 3A-double prime state of formaldehyde

The spin dipole-dipole and spin-orbit contributions to the zero-field splitting of the 3A-double prime state of formaldehyde have been evaluated at the excited state experimental geometry. Ab initio CI wave functions were generated from a Dunning double zeta plus polarization bases set using 3A-double prime rhf orbitals. Twelve states of each symmetry were used to evaluate the second-order spin-orbit effect. The resulting values of D and E were 0.19 and 0.03 kayser with the principal magnetic axes rotated 36 deg from the CO bond. The values of alpha and beta relative to the inertial axes were calculated to be 0.03 and 0.01 kayser compared to the experimental values of 0.05 plus or minus 0.01 and 0.02 plus or minus 0.02 kayser.