Ab initio MD simulations of a prototype of methyl chloride hydrolysis withexplicit consideration of three water molecules: a comparison of MD trajectories with the IRC path
M. Aida et al., Ab initio MD simulations of a prototype of methyl chloride hydrolysis withexplicit consideration of three water molecules: a comparison of MD trajectories with the IRC path, THEOR CH AC, 102(1-6), 1999, pp. 262-271
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at the Hartree-Fock/6-31G level of
theory are performed on methyl chloride hydrolysis with explicit considera
tion of one solute and two solvent water molecules at a temperature of 298
K. The reaction involves the formation of a reactant complex and the energy
surface to the transition state is found to be simple. Two types of trajec
tories toward the product are observed. In the first type, the system reach
es an intermediate complex (complex-P1) region after two nearly concerted p
roton transfers involving the attacking water molecule and the solvent wate
r molecules. These trajectories resemble the intrinsic reaction coordinate
trajectory. The thermal motion of the atoms leads the system to another int
ermediate complex (complex-P2) region. A second type of trajectory is found
in which the system reaches the complex-P2 region directly after the proto
n transfers, In both of these forward trajectories, back proton transfers l
ead the system to a final complex-F region which resembles protonated metha
nol.