Does DFT-SAPT method provide spectroscopic accuracy?

Ground state potential energy curves for homonuclear and heteronuclear dimers consisting of noble gas atoms from He to Kr were calculated within the symmetry adapted perturbation theory based on the density functional theory (DFT-SAPT). These potentials together with spectroscopic data derived from them were compared to previous high-precision coupled cluster with singles and doubles including the connected triples theory calculations (or better if available) as well as to experimental data used as the benchmark. The impact of midbond functions on DFT-SAPT results was tested to study the convergence of the interaction energies. It was shown that, for most of the complexes, DFT-SAPT potential calculated at the complete basis set (CBS) limit is lower than the corresponding benchmark potential in the region near its minimum and hence, spectroscopic accuracy cannot be achieved. The influence of the residual term δ(HF) on the interaction energy was also studied. As a result, we have found that this term improves the agreement with the benchmark in the repulsive region for the dimers considered, but leads to even larger overestimation of potential depth De. Although the standard hybrid exchange-correlation (xc) functionals with asymptotic correction within the second order DFT-SAPT do not provide the spectroscopic accuracy at the CBS limit, it is possible to adjust empirically basis sets yielding highly accurate results.