Quantum and dynamical effects of proton donor-acceptor vibrational motion in nonadiabatic proton-coupled electron transfer reactions

Alexander Soudackov, Elizabeth Hatcher, Sharon Hammes-Schiffer

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120 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper presents a general theoretical formulation for proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions. The solute is represented by a multistate valence bond model, and the active electrons and transferring proton(s) are treated quantum mechanically. This formulation enables the classical or quantum mechanical treatment of the proton donor-acceptor vibrational mode, as well as the dynamical treatment of the proton donor-acceptor mode and the solvent. Nonadiabatic rate expressions are presented for PCET reactions in a number of well-defined limits for both dielectric continuum and molecular representations of the environment. The dynamical rate expressions account for correlations between the fluctuations of the proton donor-acceptor distance and the nonadiabatic PCET coupling. The quantities in the rate expressions can be calculated with a dielectric continuum model or a molecular dynamics simulation of the full system. The significance of the quantum and dynamical effects of the proton donor-acceptor mode is illustrated with applications to model PCET systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number014505
JournalJournal of Chemical Physics
Volume122
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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