Search for Fast H + -Ion Motion in Aqueous Solutions of HCl

Multistate empirical valence bond study of temperature and confinement effects on proton transfer in water inside hydrophobic nanochannels

Microscopic characteristics of an aqueous excess proton in a wide range of thermodynamic states, from low density amorphous ices (down to 100 K) to high temperature liquids under the critical point (up to 600 K), placed inside hydrophobic graphene slabs at the nanometric scale (with interplate distances between 3.1 and 0.7 nm wide) have been analyzed by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Water-proton and carbon-proton forces were modeled with a multistate empirical valence bond method. Densities between 0.07 and 0.02 Å(-3) have been considered. As a general trend, we observed a competition between effects of confinement and temperature on structure and dynamical properties of the lone proton. Confinement has strong influence on the local structure of the proton, whereas the main effect of temperature on proton properties is observed on its dynamics, with significant variation of proton transfer rates, proton diffusion coefficients, and characteristic frequencies of vibrational motions. Proton transfer is an activated process with energy barriers between 1 and 10 kJ/mol for both proton transfer and diffusion, depending of the temperature range considered and also on the interplate distance. Arrhenius-like behavior of the transfer rates and of proton diffusion are clearly observed for states above 100 K. Spectral densities of proton species indicated that in all states Zundel-like and Eigen-like complexes survive at some extent. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proton transfer in liquid water confined inside graphene slabs

The microscopic structure and dynamics of an excess proton in water constrained in narrow graphene slabs between 0.7 and 3.1 nm wide has been studied by means of a series of molecular dynamics simulations. Interaction of water and carbon with the proton species was modeled using a multistate empirical valence bond Hamiltonian model. The analysis of the effects of confinement on proton solvation structure and on its dynamical properties has been considered for varying densities. The system is organized in one interfacial and a bulk-like region, both of variable size. In the widest interplate separations, the lone proton shows a marked tendency to place itself in the bulk phase of the system, due to the repulsive interaction with the carbon atoms. However, as the system is compressed and the proton is forced to move to the vicinity of graphene walls it moves closer to the interface, producing a neat enhancement of the local structure. We found a marked slowdown of proton transfer when the separation of the two graphene plates is reduced. In the case of lowest distances between graphene plates (0.7 and 0.9 nm), only one or two water layers persist and the two-dimensional character of water structure becomes evident. By means of spectroscopical analysis, we observed the persistence of Zundel and Eigen structures in all cases, although at low interplate separations a signature frequency band around 2500 cm^{-1} suffers a blue shift and moves to characteristic values of asymmetric hydronium ion vibrations, indicating some unstability of the typical Zundel-Eigen moieties and their eventual conversion to a single hydronium species solvated by water.

Dynamical aspects of intermolecular proton transfer in liquid water and low-density amorphous ices

The microscopic dynamics of an excess proton in water and in low-density amorphous ices has been studied by means of a series of molecular dynamics simulations. Interaction of water with the proton species was modelled using a multistate empirical valence bond Hamiltonian model. The analysis of the effects of low temperatures on proton diffusion and transfer rates has been considered for a temperature range between 100 and 298 K at the constant density of 1 g cm(-3). We observed a marked slowdown of proton transfer rates at low temperatures, but some episodes are still seen at 100 K. In a similar fashion, mobility of the lone proton gets significantly reduced when temperature decreases below 273 K. The proton transfer in low-density amorphous ice is an activated process with energy barriers between 1-10 kJ/mol depending of the temperature range considered and eventually showing Arrhenius-like behavior. Spectroscopic data indicated the survival of both Zundel and Eigen structures along the whole temperature range, revealed by significant spectral frequency shifts.

Protons in Supercritical Water: A Multistate Empirical Valence Bond Study

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to analyze microscopic details related to aqueous solvation of excess protons along the supercritical T = 673 K isotherm, spanning a density interval from a typical liquid down to vapor environments. The simulation methodology relies on a multistate empirical valence bond Hamiltonian model that includes a proton translocation mechanism. Our results predict a gradual stabilization of the solvated Eigen cation [H(3)O.(H(2)O)(3)](+) at lower densities, in detriment of the symmetric Zundel dimer [H.(H(2)O)(2)](+). At all densities, the average solvation structure in the close vicinity of the hydronium is characterized by three hydrogen bond acceptor water molecules and presents minor changes in the solute water distances. Characteristic times for the proton translocation jumps have been computed using population relaxation time correlation functions. Compared to room temperature results, the rates at high densities are 4 times faster and become progressively slower in steamlike environments. Diffusion coefficients for the excess proton have also been computed. In agreement with conductometric data, our results show that contributions from the Grotthus mechanism to the overall proton transport diminish at lower densities and predict that in steamlike environments, the proton diffusion is almost 1 order of magnitude slower than that for pure water. Spectroscopic information for the solvated proton is accordant to the gradual prevalence of proton localization in Eigen-like structures at lower densities.