Linear scaling perturbative triples correction approximations for open-shell domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster singles and doubles theory [DLPNO-CCSD(T0/T)].

The coupled cluster method with single-, double-, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] is considered to be one of the most reliable quantum chemistry theories. However, the steep scaling of CCSD(T) has limited its application to small or medium-sized systems for a long time. In our previous work, the linear scaling domain based local pair natural orbital CCSD variant (DLPNO-CCSD) has been developed for closed-shell and open-shell. However, it is known from extensive benchmark studies that triple-excitation contributions are important to reach chemical accuracy. In the present work, two linear scaling (T) approximations for open-shell DLPNO-CCSD are implemented and compared: (a) an algorithm based on the semicanonical approximation, in which off-diagonal Fock matrix elements in the occupied space are neglected [referred to as DLPNO-(T0)]; and (b) an improved algorithm in which the triples amplitudes are computed iteratively [referred to as DLPNO-(T)]. This work is based on the previous open-shell DLPNO-CCSD algorithm [M. Saitow et al., J. Chem. Phys. 146, 164105 (2017)] as well as the iterative (T) correction for closed-shell systems [Y. Guo et al., J. Chem. Phys. 148, 011101 (2018)]. Our results show that the new open-shell perturbative corrections, DLPNO-(T0/T), can predict accurate absolute and relative correlation energies relative to the canonical reference calculations with the same basis set. The absolute energies from DLPNO-(T) are significantly more accurate than those of DLPNO-(T0). The additional computational effort of DLPNO-(T) relative to DLPNO-(T0) is a factor of 4 on average. We report calculations on systems with more than 4000 basis functions.

Comprehensive Benchmark Results for the Domain Based Local Pair Natural Orbital Coupled Cluster Method (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) for Closed- and Open-Shell Systems.

In this study we examine the accuracy of domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) on a large benchmark data set. To this end, we use the recently published GMTKN55 superset of molecules that contains 1505 relative energies and 2462 single-point calculations. To our knowledge this is the most comprehensive benchmark evaluation of any highly correlated wave function based ab initio method to date. In the first part of the study, canonical CCSD(T) reference calculations were carried out on the entire test set in order to guarantee that the reference data are of uniform quality. Second, DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations were carried out under identical conditions. The main finding is that with the exception of two data sets, all data sets have a MAD of 0.4 kcal/mol or less and the majority of sets have a MAD of less than 0.2 kcal/mol. For open shells, the accuracy of the DLPNO calculations was significantly improved through an iterative version of the triples correction.

Communication: An improved linear scaling perturbative triples correction for the domain based local pair-natural orbital based singles and doubles coupled cluster method [DLPNO-CCSD(T)].

In this communication, an improved perturbative triples correction (T) algorithm for domain based local pair-natural orbital singles and doubles coupled cluster (DLPNO-CCSD) theory is reported. In our previous implementation, the semi-canonical approximation was used and linear scaling was achieved for both the DLPNO-CCSD and (T) parts of the calculation. In this work, we refer to this previous method as DLPNO-CCSD(T0) to emphasize the semi-canonical approximation. It is well-established that the DLPNO-CCSD method can predict very accurate absolute and relative energies with respect to the parent canonical CCSD method. However, the (T0) approximation may introduce significant errors in absolute energies as the triples correction grows up in magnitude. In the majority of cases, the relative energies from (T0) are as accurate as the canonical (T) results of themselves. Unfortunately, in rare cases and in particular for small gap systems, the (T0) approximation breaks down and relative energies show large deviations from the parent canonical CCSD(T) results. To address this problem, an iterative (T) algorithm based on the previous DLPNO-CCSD(T0) algorithm has been implemented [abbreviated here as DLPNO-CCSD(T)]. Using triples natural orbitals to represent the virtual spaces for triples amplitudes, storage bottlenecks are avoided. Various carefully designed approximations ease the computational burden such that overall, the increase in the DLPNO-(T) calculation time over DLPNO-(T0) only amounts to a factor of about two (depending on the basis set). Benchmark calculations for the GMTKN30 database show that compared to DLPNO-CCSD(T0), the errors in absolute energies are greatly reduced and relative energies are moderately improved. The particularly problematic case of cumulene chains of increasing lengths is also successfully addressed by DLPNO-CCSD(T).

Is It Possible To Obtain Coupled Cluster Quality Energies at near Density Functional Theory Cost? Domain-Based Local Pair Natural Orbital Coupled Cluster vs Modern Density Functional Theory.

The recently developed domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) delivers results that are closely approaching those of the parent canonical coupled cluster method at a small fraction of the computational cost. A recent extended benchmark study established that, depending on the three main truncation thresholds, it is possible to approach the canonical CCSD(T) results within 1 kJ (default setting, TightPNO), 1 kcal/mol (default setting, NormalPNO), and 2-3 kcal (default setting, LoosePNO). Although thresholds for calculations with TightPNO are 2-4 times slower than those based on NormalPNO thresholds, they are still many orders of magnitude faster than canonical CCSD(T) calculations, even for small and medium sized molecules where there is little locality. The computational effort for the coupled cluster step scales nearly linearly with system size. Since, in many instances, the coupled cluster step in DLPNO-CCSD(T) is cheaper or at least not much more expensive than the preceding Hartree-Fock calculation, it is useful to compare the method against modern density functional theory (DFT), which requires an effort comparable to that of Hartree-Fock theory (at least if Hartree-Fock exchange is part of the functional definition). Double hybrid density functionals (DHDF's) even require a MP2-like step. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the cost vs accuracy ratio of DLPNO-CCSD(T) against modern DFT (including the PBE, B3LYP, M06-2X, B2PLYP, and B2GP-PLYP functionals and, where applicable, their van der Waals corrected counterparts). To eliminate any possible bias in favor of DLPNO-CCSD(T), we have chosen established benchmark sets that were specifically proposed for evaluating DFT functionals. It is demonstrated that DLPNO-CCSD(T) with any of the three default thresholds is more accurate than any of the DFT functionals. Furthermore, using the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set and the LoosePNO default settings, DLPNO-CCSD(T) is only about 1.2 times slower than B3LYP. With NormalPNO thresholds, DLPNO-CCSD(T) is about a factor of 2 slower than B3LYP and shows a mean absolute deviation of less than 1 kcal/mol to the reference values for the four different data sets used. Our conclusion is that coupled cluster energies can indeed be obtained at near DFT cost.

Domain Based Pair Natural Orbital Coupled Cluster Studies on Linear and Folded Alkane Chains.

In this study the question of what is the last unbranched alkane that prefers a linear conformation over a folded one is revisited from a theoretical point of view. Geometries have been optimized carefully using the most accurate theoretical approach available to date for such systems, namely, doubly hybrid density functional theory in conjunction with larger quadruple-ζ quality basis sets. The resulting geometries deviate significantly from previously reported ones and have a significant impact on the predicted energetics. Electronic energies were calculated using the efficient and accurate domain local pair natural orbital coupled cluster method with single-, double-, and triple substitutions (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) electronic structure method. Owing to the method's efficiency, we were able to employ up to quadruple-ζ quality basis sets for all hydrocarbons up to C19H40. In conjunction with carefully designed basis set extrapolation techniques, it is estimated that the electronic energies reported in this study deviate less than 1 kJ/mol from the canonical CCSD(T) basis set limit. Thermodynamic corrections were calculated with the PW6B95-D3 functional and the def2-QZVP basis set. Our prediction is that the last linear conformer is either C16H34 or C17H36 with the latter being more probable. C18H38 can be safely ruled out as the most stable isomer at 100 K. These findings are in agreement with the elegant experimental studies of Suhm and co-workers. Deviations between the current and previous theoretical results are analyzed in detail.

Exploring the Accuracy Limits of Local Pair Natural Orbital Coupled-Cluster Theory.

The domain based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster method with single-, double-, and perturbative triple excitations (DLPNO­CCSD(T)) is an efficient quantum chemical method that allows for coupled cluster calculations on molecules with hundreds of atoms. Because coupled-cluster theory is the method of choice if high-accuracy is needed, DLPNO­CCSD(T) is very promising for large-scale chemical application. However, the various approximations that have to be introduced in order to reach near linear scaling also introduce limited deviations from the canonical results. In the present work, we investigate how far the accuracy of the DLPNO­CCSD(T) method can be pushed for chemical applications. We also address the question at which additional computational cost improvements, relative to the previously established default scheme, come. To answer these questions, a series of benchmark sets covering a broad range of quantum chemical applications including reaction energies, hydrogen bonds, and other noncovalent interactions, conformer energies, and a prototype organometallic problem were selected. An accuracy of 1 kcal/mol or better can readily be obtained for all data sets using the default truncation scheme, which corresponds to the stated goal of the original implementation. Tightening of the three thresholds that control DLPNO leads to mean absolute errors and standard deviations from the canonical results of less than 0.25 kcal/mol (<1 kJ/mol). The price one has then to pay is an increased computational time by a factor close to 3. The applicability of the method is shown to be independent of the nature of the reaction. On the basis of the careful analysis of the results, three different sets of truncation thresholds (termed "LoosePNO", "NormalPNO", and "TightPNO") have been chosen for "black box" use of DLPNO­CCSD(T). This will allow users of the method to optimally balance performance and accuracy.

On the reaction mechanism of the complete intermolecular O2 transfer between mononuclear nickel and manganese complexes with macrocyclic ligands.

The recently described intermolecular O2 transfer between the side-on Ni-O2 complex [(12-TMC)Ni-O2](+) and the manganese complex [(14-TMC)Mn](2+), where 12-TMC and 14-TMC are 12- and 14-membered macrocyclic ligands, 12-TMC=1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane and 14-TMC=1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, is studied by means of DFT methods. B3LYP calculations including long-range corrections and solvent effects are performed to elucidate the mechanism. The potential energy surfaces (PESs) compatible with different electronic states of the reactants have been analyzed. The calculations confirm a two-step reaction, with a first rate-determining bimolecular step and predict the exothermic character of the global process. The relative stability of the products and the reverse barrier are in line with the fact that no reverse reaction is experimentally observed. An intermediate with a µ-η(1):η(1)-O2 coordination and two transition states are identified on the triplet PES, slightly below the corresponding stationary points of the quintet PES, suggesting an intersystem crossing before the first transition state. The calculated activation parameters and the relative energies of the two transition sates and the products are in very good agreement with the experimental data. The calculations suggest that a superoxide anion is transferred during the reaction.

Excitation wavelength dependent O2 release from copper(II)-superoxide compounds: laser flash-photolysis experiments and theoretical studies.

Irradiation of the copper(II)-superoxide synthetic complexes [(TMG3tren)Cu(II)(O2)](+) (1) and [(PV-TMPA)Cu(II)(O2)](+) (2) with visible light resulted in direct photogeneration of O2 gas at low temperature (from -40 °C to -70 °C for 1 and from -125 to -135 °C for 2) in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) solvent. The yield of O2 release was wavelength dependent: λexc = 436 nm, ϕ = 0.29 (for 1), ϕ = 0.11 (for 2), and λexc = 683 nm, ϕ = 0.035 (for 1), ϕ = 0.078 (for 2), which was followed by fast O2-recombination with [(TMG3tren)Cu(I)](+) (3) and [(PV-TMPA)Cu(I)](+) (4). Enthalpic barriers for O2 rebinding to the copper(I) center (∼10 kJ mol(-1)) and for O2 dissociation from the superoxide compound 1 (45 kJ mol(-1)) were determined. TD-DFT studies, carried out for 1, support the experimental results confirming the dissociative character of the excited states formed upon blue- or red-light laser excitation.

Improved correlation energy extrapolation schemes based on local pair natural orbital methods.

It is well-known that the basis set limit is difficult to reach in correlated post Hartree-Fock ab initio calculations. One possible route forward is to employ basis set extrapolation schemes. In order to avoid prohibitively expensive calculations, the highest level calculation (typically based on the "gold standard" coupled cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations, CCSD(T)) is only performed with the smallest basis set, and the remaining basis set incompleteness is estimated at a lower level of theory, typically second-order Möller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2). In this work, we provide a comprehensive investigation of alternative schemes where the MP2 extrapolation is replaced by the coupled-electron pair approximation, version 1 (CEPA/1) or the local pair natural orbital version of this method (LPNO-CEPA/1). It is shown that the MP2 method achieves apparent accuracy only due to error cancellation. Systematically more accurate results at small additional computational cost are obtained if the MP2 step is replaced by LPNO-CEPA/1. The errors of LPNO-CEPA/1 relative to canonical CEPA/1 are negligible. Owing to the highly systematic nature of the deviations between canonical and LPNO methods, basis set extrapolation reduces the LPNO errors in the total energies by 1 order of magnitude (~0.2 kcal/mol) and errors in energy differences to essentially zero. Using the CCSD(T)/LPNO-CEPA/1-based extrapolation scheme, new reference values are proposed for the recently published S66 set of interaction energies. The deviations between the new values and the original interactions energies are mostly very small but reach values up to 0.3 kcal/mol.

Theoretical elucidation of a classic reaction: protonation of the quadruple bond of the octachlorodimolybdate(II,II) [Mo2Cl8]4- anion.

The protonation reaction of the unbridged quadruple metal-metal bond of [Mo(2)Cl(8)](4-) anion producing the triply bonded hydride [Mo(2)(µ-H)(µ-Cl)(2)Cl(6)](3-) is studied by accurate Density Functional Theory computations. The reactant, product, stable intermediates, and transition states are located on the potential energy surface. The water solvent is explicitly included in the calculations. Full reaction profiles are calculated and compared to experimental data. The mechanism of the reaction is fully elucidated. This involves two steps. The first is a proton transfer from an oxonium ion to the quadruple bond, being rate determining. The second, involves the internal rearrangement of chlorine atoms and is much faster. Activation energies with a mean value of 19 kcal/mol are calculated, in excellent agreement with experimental values.

Efficient and accurate local single reference correlation methods for high-spin open-shell molecules using pair natural orbitals.

A production level implementation of the high-spin open-shell (spin unrestricted) single reference coupled pair, quadratic configuration interaction and coupled cluster methods with up to doubly excited determinants in the framework of the local pair natural orbital (LPNO) concept is reported. This work is an extension of the closed-shell LPNO methods developed earlier [F. Neese, F. Wennmohs, and A. Hansen, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 114108 (2009); F. Neese, A. Hansen, and D. G. Liakos, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 064103 (2009)]. The internal space is spanned by localized orbitals, while the external space for each electron pair is represented by a truncated PNO expansion. The laborious integral transformation associated with the large number of PNOs becomes feasible through the extensive use of density fitting (resolution of the identity (RI)) techniques. Technical complications arising for the open-shell case and the use of quasi-restricted orbitals for the construction of the reference determinant are discussed in detail. As in the closed-shell case, only three cutoff parameters control the average number of PNOs per electron pair, the size of the significant pair list, and the number of contributing auxiliary basis functions per PNO. The chosen threshold default values ensure robustness and the results of the parent canonical methods are reproduced to high accuracy. Comprehensive numerical tests on absolute and relative energies as well as timings consistently show that the outstanding performance of the LPNO methods carries over to the open-shell case with minor modifications. Finally, hyperfine couplings calculated with the variational LPNO-CEPA∕1 method, for which a well-defined expectation value type density exists, indicate the great potential of the LPNO approach for the efficient calculation of molecular properties.

Protein-ligand interaction energies with dispersion corrected density functional theory and high-level wave function based methods.

With dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D3) intermolecular interaction energies for a diverse set of noncovalently bound protein-ligand complexes from the Protein Data Bank are calculated. The focus is on major contacts occurring between the drug molecule and the binding site. Generalized gradient approximation (GGA), meta-GGA, and hybrid functionals are used. DFT-D3 interaction energies are benchmarked against the best available wave function based results that are provided by the estimated complete basis set (CBS) limit of the local pair natural orbital coupled-electron pair approximation (LPNO-CEPA/1) and compared to MP2 and semiempirical data. The size of the complexes and their interaction energies (ΔE(PL)) varies between 50 and 300 atoms and from -1 to -65 kcal/mol, respectively. Basis set effects are considered by applying extended sets of triple- to quadruple-ζ quality. Computed total ΔE(PL) values show a good correlation with the dispersion contribution despite the fact that the protein-ligand complexes contain many hydrogen bonds. It is concluded that an adequate, for example, asymptotically correct, treatment of dispersion interactions is necessary for the realistic modeling of protein-ligand binding. Inclusion of the dispersion correction drastically reduces the dependence of the computed interaction energies on the density functional compared to uncorrected DFT results. DFT-D3 methods provide results that are consistent with LPNO-CEPA/1 and MP2, the differences of about 1-2 kcal/mol on average (<5% of ΔE(PL)) being on the order of their accuracy, while dispersion-corrected semiempirical AM1 and PM3 approaches show a deviating behavior. The DFT-D3 results are found to depend insignificantly on the choice of the short-range damping model. We propose to use DFT-D3 as an essential ingredient in a QM/MM approach for advanced virtual screening approaches of protein-ligand interactions to be combined with similarly "first-principle" accounts for the estimation of solvation and entropic effects.

Correlated wavefunction methods in bioinorganic chemistry.

In this commentary the challenges faced in the application of wavefunction-based ab initio methods to (open-shell) transition metal complexes of (bio)inorganic interest are briefly touched on. Both single-reference and multireference methods are covered. It is stressed that the generation and nature of the reference wavefunction is a subject of major importance. How erroneous results can be easily obtained even with coupled-cluster theory is illustrated through the example of the septet-quintet separation in iron(IV)-oxo complexes. Second, the interplay between relativistic and correlation effects is important. This is demonstrated with coupled-cluster calculations on models for dinuclear copper active sites, where relativity has a major influence on the relative stabilities of the bis(µ-oxo) and side-on peroxo species.

Weak Molecular Interactions Studied with Parallel Implementations of the Local Pair Natural Orbital Coupled Pair and Coupled Cluster Methods.

A parallel implementation of the recently developed local pair natural orbital coupled electron pair approximation (LPNO-CEPA/n, n = Version 1, 2, or 3) and the corresponding LPNO coupled cluster method with single- and double excitations (LPNO-CCSD) is described. A detailed analysis alongside pseudocode is presented for the most important computational steps. The scaling with respect to the number of processors is reasonable and speedups of about 10 with 14 processors have been found in benchmark calculations (wall-clock time). The most important factor limiting the efficiency of the scaling with respect to the number of processors is probably the limited bandwidth of the presently prevailing multicore machines. The parallel LPNO methods were applied to study weak intermolecular interactions. Initially, the well-established S22 set of molecules was studied. The mean absolute error resulting from the use of the LPNO-CEPA/1 method relative to the most recent CCSD(T) reference data is found to be 0.24 kcal/mol. Thus, LPNO-CEPA/1 holds great promise for the efficient ab initio treatment of weak intermolecular interactions. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the methods to real systems, a two-dimensional potential energy surface for a trimer of 2,4-dihydroxy-3-acetyl-6-methyl acetophenone [C11H12O4] (81 atoms, 1296 basis functions, 133 single points) has been calculated with the LPNO-CEPA/1 method. In this system, a clear distinction can be made between hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. The global minimum on the PES obtained from the calculations agrees excellently with the experimentally determined crystal structure. By contrast, popular density functional methods show no discernible minimum.

Interplay of Correlation and Relativistic Effects in Correlated Calculations on Transition-Metal Complexes: The (Cu2O2)(2+) Core Revisited.

Owing to the availability of large-scale computing facilities and the development of efficient new algorithms, wave function-based ab initio calculations are becoming more common in bioinorganic chemistry. In principle they offer a systematic route toward high accuracy. However, these calculations are by no means trivial. In this contribution we address some pertinent points through a systematic theoretical study for the equilibrium between the peroxo- and bis-(µ-oxo) isomers of the [{Cu(C2H8N2)}2O2](2+) complex. While this system is often regarded as a prototypical multireference case, we treat it with the single reference local-pair natural orbital coupled cluster method and reiterate that the multireference character in this system is very limited. A set of intermediate structures, for the interconversion between the two isomers, is calculated through a relaxed surface scan thus allowing the calculation of an energetic profile that cleanly connects the bis-(µ-oxo) and side-on peroxo minima on the ground-state potential energy surface. Only at the highest level of theory involving complete basis set extrapolation, triple excitation contributions as well as relativistic and solvent effects, the bis-(µ-oxo) isomer is found to be slightly more stable than the peroxo structure. This is in agreement with the experimental findings. The effects of basis set, triples excitation, relativity, and solvent contribution have all been analyzed in detail. Finally, the ab initio results are compared with density functional calculations using various functionals. It is demonstrated that the largest part of the discrepancies of the results reported in the literature are due to an inconsistent handling of relativistic effects, which are large in both ab initio and density functional theory calculations.

A multiconfigurational ab initio study of the zero-field splitting in the di- and trivalent hexaquo-chromium complexes.

A detailed analysis of the value of zero-field splitting for the di- and trivalent chromium hexaquo complexes is presented. The effect of the Jahn-Teller distortion was studied, for the case of the divalent complex, through the use of state-averaged CASSCF calculations, for the mapping of the potential energy surface along the e(g) normal modes. At the minima of the surface, multiconfigurational ab initio calculations (spectroscopy oriented configuration interaction, SORCI, and difference dedicated configuration interaction, DDCI) were used for the calculation of the D tensor and the analysis of the individual contributions to it. The final value calculated with the SORCI method (D = -2.45 cm(-1)) for the divalent complex is in excellent agreement with the experimental estimate (D = -2.3 cm(-1)). The importance of inclusion of the direct spin-spin coupling contribution to D is pointed out ( approximately 16%). At the same time, contributions of the higher than the lowest (3)T(1g) triplets were found to be non-negligible as well ( approximately 11%). The accuracy of second-order perturbation theory for the calculation of SOC was investigated and found to be satisfactory. For comparison, DFT calculations were performed with hybrid (B3LYP) and nonhybrid (BP86) functionals and were found to be inferior to the wave function based ab initio methods.

Efficient and accurate approximations to the local coupled cluster singles doubles method using a truncated pair natural orbital basis.

A production level implementation of the closed-shell local quadratic configuration interaction and coupled cluster methods with single and double excitations (QCISD and CCSD) based on the concept of pair natural orbitals [local pair natural orbital LPNO-QCISD and LPNO-CCSD) is reported, evaluated, and discussed. This work is an extension of the earlier developed LPNO coupled-electron pair approximation (LNPO-CEPA) method [F. Neese et al., Chem. Phys. 130, 114108 (2009)] and makes extended use of the resolution of the identity (RI) or density fitting (DF) approximation. Two variants of each method are compared. The less accurate approximations (LPNO2-QCISD/LPNO2-CCSD) still recover 98.7%-99.3% of the correlation energy in the given basis and have modest disk space requirements. The more accurate variants (LPNO1-QCISD/LPNO1-CCSD) typically recover 99.75%-99.95% of the correlation energy in the given basis but require the Coulomb and exchange operators with up to two-external indices to be stored on disk. Both variants have comparable computational efficiency. The convergence of the results with respect to the natural orbital truncation parameter (T(CutPNO)) has been studied. Extended numerical tests have been performed on absolute and relative correlation energies as function of basis set size and T(CutPNO) as well as on reaction energies, isomerization energies, and weak intermolecular interactions. The results indicate that the errors of the LPNO methods compared to the canonical QCISD and CCSD methods are below 1 kcal/mol with our default thresholds. Finally, some calculations on larger molecules are reported (ranging from 40-86 atoms) and it is shown that for medium sized molecules the total wall clock time required to complete the LPNO-CCSD calculations is only two to four times that of the preceding self-consistent field (SCF). Thus these methods are highly suitable for large-scale computational chemistry applications. Since there are only three thresholds involved that have been given conservative default values, the methods can be confidentially used in a "black-box" fashion in the same way as their canonical counterparts.

Theoretical investigation of the stepwise hydrolysis of the [Re(3)(mu-Cl)(3)Cl(9)](3-) anion.

A detailed study of the stepwise substitution of the chloride ligands in the [Re3(mu-Cl)3Cl9](3-) (1) anion by water molecules is presented using theoretical methods. Ligand lability as well as the structure and relative stability of the various mono-[Re3(mu-Cl)3Cl8(H2O)](2-) (2a,b) and dihydro-[Re3(mu-Cl)3Cl7(H2O)2](-) (3a-f) conformers is examined. Clear preferences for the positions of the incoming water ligands are proposed based on calculated energy and vibrational data, which fully agree with the experimental results.