Proton transfer reactions and dynamics were theoretically studied using the hydrogen-bond (H-bond) complexes formed from H(3)O(+) and nH(2)O, n = 1-4, as model systems. The investigations began with searching for characteristics of transferring protons in the gas phase and continuum aqueous solution using DFT method at the B3LYP/TZVP level, followed by Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations at 350 K. B3LYP/TZVP calculations revealed the threshold asymmetric O-H stretching frequencies (ν(OH)*) for the proton transfers in the Zundel complex (H(5)O) in the gas phase and continuum aqueous solution at 1984 and 1881 cm(-1), respectively. BOMD simulations suggested lower threshold frequencies (ν(OH,MD)* = 1917 and 1736 cm(-1), respectively), with two characteristic ν(OH,MD) being the IR spectral signatures of the transferring protons. The low-frequency band could be associated with the "oscillatory shuttling motion" and the high-frequency band with the "structural diffusion motion". These can be regarded as the spectroscopic evidences of the formations of the shared-proton structure (O···H(+)···O) and the H(3)O(+)-H(2)O contact structure (O-H(+)···O), respectively. Since the quasi-dynamic equilibrium between the Zundel and Eigen complexes was suggested to be the rate-determining step, in order to achieve an "ideal" maximum efficiency of proton transfer, a concerted reaction pathway should be taken. The most effective interconversion between the two proton states, the shared-proton structure and the H(3)O(+)-H(2)O contact structure, can be reflected from comparable intensities of the oscillatory shuttling and structural diffusion bands. The present results iterated the previous conclusions that static proton transfer potentials cannot provide complete description of the structural diffusion process and it is essential to incorporate thermal energy fluctuations and dynamics in the model calculations.

Proton transfer reactions at the sulfonic acid groups in Nafion were theoretically studied, using complexes formed from triflic acid (CF3SO3H), H3O+ and H2O, as model systems. The investigations began with searching for potential precursors and transition states at low hydration levels, using the test-particle model (T-model), density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio calculations. They were employed as starting configurations in Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations at 298 K, from which elementary reactions were analyzed and categorized. For the H3O+-H2O complexes, BOMD simulations suggested that a quasi-dynamic equilibrium could be established between the Eigen and Zundel complexes, and that was considered to be one of the most important elementary reactions in the proton transfer process. The average lifetime of H3O+ obtained from BOMD simulations is close to the lowest limit, estimated from low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that proton transfer reactions at -SO3H are not concerted, due to the thermal energy fluctuation and the existence of various quasi-dynamic equilibria, and -SO3H could directly and indirectly mediate proton transfer reactions through the formation of proton defects, as well as the -SO3- and -SO3H2+ transition states.

Proton transfer reactions and dynamics in hydrated complexes formed from CH(3)OH, H(3)O(+) and H(2)O were studied using theoretical methods. The investigations began with searching for equilibrium structures at low hydration levels using the DFT method, from which active H-bonds in the gas phase and continuum aqueous solution were characterized and analyzed. Based on the asymmetric stretching coordinates (Deltad(DA)), four H-bond complexes were identified as potential transition states, in which the most active unit is represented by an excess proton nearly equally shared between CH(3)OH and H(2)O. These cannot be definitive due to the lack of asymmetric O-H stretching frequencies (nu(OH)) which are spectral signatures of transferring protons. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations revealed that, when the thermal energy fluctuations and dynamics were included in the model calculations, the spectral signatures at nu(OH) approximately 1000 cm(-1) appeared. In continuum aqueous solution, the H-bond complex with incomplete water coordination at charged species turned out to be the only active transition state. Based on the assumption that the thermal energy fluctuations and dynamics could temporarily break the H-bonds linking the transition state complex and water molecules in the second hydration shell, elementary reactions of proton transfer were proposed. The present study showed that, due to the coupling among various vibrational modes, the discussions on proton transfer reactions cannot be made based solely on static proton transfer potentials. Inclusion of thermal energy fluctuations and dynamics in the model calculations, as in the case of BOMD simulations, together with systematic IR spectral analyses, have been proved to be the most appropriate theoretical approaches.