CCL: suggestions for density functionals for polycyclic heteroaromatic compounds



I realize that "best" density functionals is a controversial topic, but I could use some help.

I want to do a DFT study of a variety of polycyclic heteroaromatic compounds with heteroatoms including B, N, O, P, and S. Mostly I am interested in relative energies of isomers, bond lengths, and electron distribution within the molecule. The last of these might be summarized by di- and quadrupole moments and/or by atomic charges (another controversial topic!). I will also want to calculate monocyclic species and carbocyclic species for comparison.

There are now a bewildering number of density functionals, and I haven't really kept up. Have there been any good studies or comparisons of density functionals for heteroaromatic compounds?

--David Shobe