Scaled Density Functional Theory Correlation Functionals^†

We show that a simple one-parameter scaling of the dynamical correlation energy estimated by the density functional theory (DFT) correlation functionals helps increase the overall accuracy for several local and nonlocal functionals. The approach taken here has been described as the “scaled dynamical correlation” (SDC) method [Ramachandran, J. Phys. Chem. A 2006, 110, 396], and its justification is the same as that of the scaled external correlation (SEC) method of Brown and Truhlar. We examine five local and five nonlocal (hybrid) DFT functionals, the latter group including three functionals developed specifically for kinetics by the Truhlar group. The optimum scale factors are obtained by use of a set of 98 data values consisting of molecules, ions, and transition states. The optimum scale factors, found with a linear regression relationship, are found to differ from unity with a high degree of correlation in nearly every case, indicating that the deviation of calculated results from the experimental values are systematic and proportional to the dynamic correlation energy. As a consequence, the SDC scaling of dynamical correlation decreases the mean errors (signed and unsigned) by significant amounts in an overwhelming majority of cases. These results indicate that there are gains to be realized from further parametrization of several popular exchange-correlation functionals.