Diffusion Monte Carlo Calculations of Zero-Point Energies of Methanol and Deuterated Methanol.

Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) simulations have been used to obtain quantum zero-point energies of methanol and all its isotopologs and isotopomers, using a new, accurate semi-global potential energy surface. This potential energy surface is a precise, permutationally invariant fit to 6676 ab initio energies, obtained at the CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. Quantum zero-point energies of deuterated methanol isotopomers are very close to each other and so a simple statistical argument can be used to estimate the populations of each isotopomer at very low-temperatures. The DMC simulations also indicate that there is virtually zero probability for H/D exchange in the zero-point state.