Intermolecular interaction energies of 12 orientations of C3F8 dimers were calculated with electron correlation correction by the second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation method. The antiparallel C-2h dimer has the largest interaction energy (-1.45 kcal/mol). Electron correlation correction increases the attraction considerably. Electrostatic energy is not large. Dispersion is mainly responsible for the attraction. Orientation dependence of the interaction energy of the C3F8 dimer is substantially smaller than that of the C3H8 dimer. The calculated interaction energy of the C3F8 dimer at the potential minimum is 78% of that of the C3H8 dimer (-1.85 kcal/mol), whereas the interaction energies of the CF4 and C2F6 dimers are larger than those of the CH4 and C2H6 dimers. The intermolecular separation in the C3F8 dimer at the potential minimum is substantially larger than that in the C3H8 dimer. The larger intermolecular separation due to the steric repulsion between fluorine atoms is the cause of the smaller interaction energy of the C3F8 dimer at the potential minimum. The calculated intermolecular interaction energy potentials of the C3F8 dimers using an all atom model OPLS-AA (OPLS all atom model) force field and a united atom model force field were compared with the ab initio calculations. Although the two force fields well reproduces the experimental vapor and liquid properties of perfluoroalkenes, the comparison shows that the united atom model underestimates the potential depth and orientation dependence of the interaction energy. The potentials obtained by the OPLS-AA force field are close to those obtained by the ab initio calculations. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.