return to home page Computational Chemistry Comparison and Benchmark DataBase Release 22 (May 2022) Standard Reference Database 101 National Institute of Standards and Technology
You are here: Comparisons > Vibrations > Vibrations

Vibrational frequency comparison for (Formaldehyde)

1903141804
Experimental vibrational frequencies (cm-1)
mode number symmetry Fundamental Frequency Harmonic Frequency
1 A1 2782  
2 A1 1746  
3 A1 1500  
4 B1 1167  
5 B2 2843  
6 B2 1249  


Click on an entry for details.
dpg = different point group or different conformation
rms differences (theory-experiment) in (cm-1)
Methods with predefined basis sets
semi-empirical PM6 88
composite G2 274 *
G3 274 *
G3MP2 275 *
G4 72 *
CBS-Q 257 *

rms differences (theory-experiment) in (cm-1)
Methods with standard basis sets
STO-3G 3-21G 3-21G* 6-31G 6-31G* 6-31G** 6-31+G** 6-311G* 6-311G** 6-31G(2df,p) 6-311+G(3df,2p) 6-311+G(3df,2pd) TZVP cc-pVDZ cc-pVTZ cc-pVQZ aug-cc-pVDZ aug-cc-pVTZ aug-cc-pVQZ cc-pV(T+d)Z cc-pCVDZ cc-pCVTZ cc-pCVQZ aug-cc-pCVTZ Sadlej_pVTZ daug-cc-pVDZ daug-cc-pVTZ
hartree fock HF 95 53 48 75 48 43 45 42 40 39 37 33 42 45 39 36 43 38 35 40   44   229 * 50 44 30
density functional LSDA   33 36     44 38   46 48 37 * 37 * 36 54 43 35 * 45 41 35 *     37 *   35 *      
BLYP 93 30 31 41 17 18 20 24 29 24 22 12 * 11 31 18 12 * 25 20 13 * 19   16 *   15 *   23 * 14 *
B1B95 92 27 26 54 25 30 31 23 22 26 89 * 90 * 19 32 22 88 * 32 23 89 * 22   86 *   88 *   93 * 89 *
B3LYP 93 25 25 50 18 17 24 14 15 18 15 16 10 24 14 12 26 15 13 15   63 * 61 * 65 * 26 70 * 66 *
B3LYPultrafine 93 25 25 50 17 17 23 14 16 18 66 * 15 11 24 14 66 * 26 15 66 *     63 *   65 *   70 * 66 *
B3PW91 93 25 25 50 22 22 26 19 20 23 27 74 * 15 29 22 70 * 28 20 71 * 20   68 *   70 *   75 * 71 *
mPW1PW91 94 27 27 49 23 23 27 20 21 24 89 * 90 * 17 30 21 87 * 30 22 87 * 22   85 *   86 *   92 * 87 *
M06-2X 310 * 44 29 154 * 35 33 38 123 * 113 * 32 111 * 122 * 23 111 * 30 118 * 113 * 32 119 *     110 *   112 *   112 * 112 *
PBEPBE 92 28 95 40 24 27 26 30 31 29 27 29 24 37 26 18 * 30 26 18 * 27   20 *   19 * 35 26 * 19 *
PBEPBEultrafine 92 28 94 40 26 27 26 30 32 29 19 * 29 24 37 26 18 * 30 33 18 *     20 *   19 *   26 * 19 *
PBE1PBE 92 28 27 55 24 26 29 22 22 26 85 * 86 * 19 32 23 83 * 32 24 82 *     80 *   82 *   88 * 83 *
HSEh1PBE 91 30 27 55 24 24 27 21 22 26 83 * 84 * 18 31 22 82 * 31 23 82 *     79 *   81 *   86 * 82 *
TPSSh 229 * 31 31 55 17 15 25 12 63 * 14 64 *   10 18 11 63 * 25 17 63 *     60 *   63 *   67 * 63 *
wB97X-D 270 * 110 * 26 136 * 22 104 * 25 96 * 21 93 * 90 *   17 33 21 88 * 28 21       88 *   89 *   90 * 89 *
B97D3 158 * 33 26 * 56 * 23 28 * 20 20 * 30 23 * 23   19 29 25 14 * 21 * 26 13 *     14 *   14 *   20 * 14 *
STO-3G 3-21G 3-21G* 6-31G 6-31G* 6-31G** 6-31+G** 6-311G* 6-311G** 6-31G(2df,p) 6-311+G(3df,2p) 6-311+G(3df,2pd) TZVP cc-pVDZ cc-pVTZ cc-pVQZ aug-cc-pVDZ aug-cc-pVTZ aug-cc-pVQZ cc-pV(T+d)Z cc-pCVDZ cc-pCVTZ cc-pCVQZ aug-cc-pCVTZ Sadlej_pVTZ daug-cc-pVDZ daug-cc-pVTZ
Moller Plesset perturbation MP2 134 62 61 92 46 47 66 37 34 38 45 45 45 38 40 44 66 51 48 41 38 41   117 * 48 118 * 116 *
MP2=FULL 135 62 61 88 45 46 65 36 34 37 45 119 * 49 39 40 51 76 48 53   39 40   120 * 100 * 121 * 117 *
MP3 144 74 69 92 36 45 47 137 * 137 * 151 * 139 * 136 * 25 34 28 140 * 131 * 136 * 139 *     138 *   135 *   129 * 135 *
MP3=FULL   134 * 134 * 153 * 36 181 * 49 139 * 141 * 155 * 147 *   22 29 18   134 * 142 *       141 *   139 *   132 * 138 *
MP4 244 * 50 81 89 36 42 60 35 32 97 * 60 82 * 43 32 38 85 * 63 50 85 *     81 *   83 *   84 * 82 *
MP4=FULL 244 * 50 71 * 101 * 37 125 * 131 * 75 * 31 101 * 92 * 84 * 45 33 34 92 * 63 47 92 *     83 *   86 *   86 * 82 *
B2PLYP 271 * 105 * 105 * 135 * 25 113 * 40 94 * 85 * 16 90 * 90 * 21 24 20 23 95 * 28 90 *     87 *   89 *   93 * 89 *
B2PLYP=FULL 271 * 42 105 * 135 * 24 114 * 39 94 * 86 * 97 * 92 * 91 * 21 23 19   42 27       88 *   90 *   94 * 90 *
B2PLYP=FULLultrafine         24                         27       88 *   90 *      
Configuration interaction CID 307 * 45 46 63 27 37 46 19 160 * 176 * 23 165 * 176 * 28 21 170 * 156 * 164 * 169 *     166 *   165 *   154 * 164 *
CISD 296 *   46 64 26   41 20 152 * 169 * 25 159 * 168 * 33 21 164 * 150 * 158 * 163 *     160 *   159 *   148 * 158 *
STO-3G 3-21G 3-21G* 6-31G 6-31G* 6-31G** 6-31+G** 6-311G* 6-311G** 6-31G(2df,p) 6-311+G(3df,2p) 6-311+G(3df,2pd) TZVP cc-pVDZ cc-pVTZ cc-pVQZ aug-cc-pVDZ aug-cc-pVTZ aug-cc-pVQZ cc-pV(T+d)Z cc-pCVDZ cc-pCVTZ cc-pCVQZ aug-cc-pCVTZ Sadlej_pVTZ daug-cc-pVDZ daug-cc-pVTZ
Quadratic configuration interaction QCISD 253 * 47 46 71 32 35 51 21 19 24 29 107 * 36 28 26 113 * 53 39 112 * 25   108 *   108 *   101 * 107 *
QCISD(T) 240 * 62 62 76 35 39 53 23 83 * 104 * 35 87 * 39 36 37 91 * 58 38 91 *     87 *   87 *   86 * 86 *
QCISD(T)=FULL                                           90 *   91 *   88 * 90 *
QCISD(TQ) 250 * 84 * 84 * 114 * 112 * 135 * 140 * 86 * 91 * 110 * 97 * 94 * 111 * 90 * 95 * 98 * 95 * 93 *                  
QCISD(TQ)=FULL                                                   94 *  
Coupled Cluster CCD 272 * 63 49 71 34 38 53 27 30 32 23 122 * 34 35 26 126 * 53 38 125 *     123 *   122 *   115 *  
CCSD 263 * 58 58 72 27 31 45 20 111 * 25 27 113 * 39 27 24 26 49 33       115 *   114 *   107 * 113 *
CCSD=FULL 264 * 98 * 98 * 123 * 33 154 * 157 * 108 * 114 * 23 124 * 117 * 28 112 * 23 127 * 112 * 32       118 *   118 *   110 * 116 *
CCSD(T) 245 * 65 75 85 39 41 66 24 26 106 * 68 90 * 40 47 44 40 52 43 35 31 34 31   90 *   88 * 89 *
CCSD(T)=FULL 245 * 79 * 79 * 109 * 52 133 * 138 * 83 * 90 * 110 * 100 * 93 * 33 31 28 39 55 39 35 29 34 33   94 *   89 * 93 *
STO-3G 3-21G 3-21G* 6-31G 6-31G* 6-31G** 6-31+G** 6-311G* 6-311G** 6-31G(2df,p) 6-311+G(3df,2p) 6-311+G(3df,2pd) TZVP cc-pVDZ cc-pVTZ cc-pVQZ aug-cc-pVDZ aug-cc-pVTZ aug-cc-pVQZ cc-pV(T+d)Z cc-pCVDZ cc-pCVTZ cc-pCVQZ aug-cc-pCVTZ Sadlej_pVTZ daug-cc-pVDZ daug-cc-pVTZ

rms differences (theory-experiment) in (cm-1)
Methods with effective core potentials (select basis sets)
CEP-31G CEP-31G* CEP-121G CEP-121G* LANL2DZ SDD cc-pVTZ-PP aug-cc-pVTZ-PP Def2TZVPP
hartree fock HF 91 55 72 40 81 81     34
density functional LSDA 60 * 36 * 44 * 27 * 57 * 57 *      
BLYP 72 24 57 24 65 64     11 *
B1B95 73 37 110 * 95 * 136 * 135 *     91 *
B3LYP 77 33 60 17 67 67     17
B3LYPultrafine 77 33 59 17 67 66     68 *
B3PW91 73 34 55 23 65 65     73 *
mPW1PW91 75 37 55 23 67 67     89 *
M06-2X 158 * 145 * 140 * 130 * 155 * 154 *     113 *
PBEPBE 72 * 34 * 52 * 14 * 67 * 66 *     31
PBEPBEultrafine 72 * 34 * 52 * 14 * 67 * 66 *     17 *
PBE1PBE 136 * 116 * 109 * 92 * 135 * 134 *     85 *
HSEh1PBE 134 * 113 * 107 * 90 * 133 * 133 *     84 *
TPSSh                 65 *
wB97X-D 140 * 120 * 113 * 97 * 139 * 138 *     21
B97D3                 22
Moller Plesset perturbation MP2 122 69 98 61 112 112     45
MP2=FULL 121 66 105 60 113 112     120 *
MP3 145 * 147 * 111 * 135 * 143 * 143 *     141 *
MP3=FULL                 140 *
MP4 125 68 126 69 118 118      
MP4=FULL 112 * 98 * 82 * 84 * 106 * 105 *      
B2PLYP 139 * 119 * 111 * 99 * 136 * 136 *     91 *
B2PLYP=FULL 139 * 119 * 111 * 99 * 136 * 136 *     91 *
Configuration interaction CID 98 44 87 33 85 85      
CISD 106 47 98 39 94 93      
Quadratic configuration interaction QCISD 106 50 92 39 94 94     112 *
QCISD(T) 112 54 103 48 101 101      
QCISD(TQ) 123 * 106 * 88 * 92 * 117 * 116 *      
Coupled Cluster CCD 100 45 89 34 88 88     126 *
CCSD 110 50 100 41 98 98     118 *
CCSD=FULL 125 * 121 * 90 * 108 * 121 * 120 *     118 *
CCSD(T) 123 62 118 60 112 111      
CCSD(T)=FULL 118 * 103 * 83 * 88 * 112 * 111 *      
For descriptions of the methods (AM1, HF, MP2, ...) and basis sets (3-21G, 3-21G*, 6-31G, ...) see the glossary in section I.C. Predefined means the basis set used is determined by the method.

Frequency FAQs

Q. Why is the rms difference so large?
A. A large rms difference may be due to different vibrational numbering between experiment and theory. Sometimes this is due to the theory giving a geometry described by a different point group, and sometimes it is because the calculation was run with the wrong geometry (usually at a lower symmetry). We are rerunning calculations to correct this latter problem.
Vibrational scaling factors have not been determined for all methods and basis sets.
A default value of 1.0 is used for results marked with *.
This will cause some calculations to have larger rms difference.

Q. Why is there a difference between the 6-31G* and 6-31G** basis sets when the molecule contains no hydrogens? Shouldn't they be the same?
A. The raw calculated frequencies should be the same. But the two basis sets may have different vibrational scaling factors, which leads to different final vibrational frequencies.