Periodic models in quantum chemical simulations of F centers in crystalline metal oxides

We present a survey of recent first principles simulations of the neutral oxygen vacancies (F centers) existing as native or radiation-induced point defects in various crystalline metal oxides in different forms (bulk, bare substrate surface, and on the interface with metal adsorbates). We mainly consider periodic models in calculations of point defects using the metal oxide supercell or cyclic clusters. We compare different formalisms of first principles calculations, mostly the Density Functional Theory (DFT) as implemented in the framework of either localized basis set of atomic orbitais or delocalized basis sets of plane waves. We analyze in detail the structural and electronic properties of F centers in binary oxides of light metals (MgO and Al₂O₃), and ternary metal oxides (SrTiO₃, BaTiO₃, PbTiO₃, KNbO₃, and PbZrO₃ perovskites). When available, we compare results of ab initio periodic defect calculations with experimental data, results of the first principles cluster calculations (both embedded and molecular) as well as with semi-empirical calculations.