Basis set effects on the stability of the Cl₂O₃ isomers using B3P86 and B3LYP methods of density functional theory

Four Cl₂O₃ isomers have been calculated using density functional theory with B3P86 and B3LYP functionals and various basis sets. The energy hypersurfaces of Cl₂O₃ are very flat and the relative energies of the isomers which have hypervalent characters such as ClOCl(O)O and ClClO₃ are strongly dependent on the basis sets. The stability for Cl₂O₃ isomers are in the order of (1)ClOOOCl(C(s)), (2)ClOOOCl(C₂), (3)ClClO₃ and (4)ClOCl(O)O with ClOCl(O)O being most stable. We suggest that at least the cc-pV6Z(-ghi) basis set for Cl and the cc-pVTZ basis set for O are required to obtain reliable relative stabilities of Cl₂O₃ isomers with hypervalent characters.