Water Exchange on Metal Ions The Effect of Pressure

Water Exchange on Metal Ions The Effect of Pressure 

Experimentally, water exchange rate constants are mainly determined from nuclear magnetic resonance measurements [6, 7]. Other techniques are restricted to very slow reactions (classical kinetic methods using isotopic substitution) or are indirect methods, such as ultrasound absorption, where the rate constants are estimated from complex-formation reactions with sulfate [3]. The microscopic nature of the mechanism of the exchange reaction is not directly accessible by experimental methods. In general, reaction mechanisms can be deduced by experimentally testing the sensitivity of the reaction rate to a variety of chemical and physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, or concentration. 

In recent years the application of classical molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo simulations as well as ab initio and DFT calculations have gained significant interest. The performance of the new generation of computers and theoretical approaches now allows calculations, which can provide deeper microscopic insight 

A promising method, developed in recent years, is the use of first principles molecular dynamics as exemplified by the Car-Parrinello technique (8]. In these calculations the interatomic potentials are explicitly derived from the electronic ground-state within the density functional theory in local or non-local approximation. It combines quantum mechanical calculations with molecular dynamics simulations and, therefore, overcomes the limitations of both methods. Actual computers allow only simulations of aqueous solutions of about 60 water molecules for several ps (10 s). This limit is still at least one order of magnitude shorter than the fastest directly measured water exchange rate, k = 3.5 x 10 s for [Eu(H20)8], i.e. one exchange event every (8 x 3.5 x lO s ) = 36 ps [9]. Nevertheless, several publications appeared in the late 1990s on solvated Be [10], K+ [11] and Cu + [12] presenting mainly structural results. 

This chapter is essentially an update of our review which appeared two years ago 

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L. Helm and A.E. Merbach, Water exchange on metal ions The effect of pressure in High Pressure Chemistry, Eds. R. Van Eldik and F.G. Klaerne, Wiley-VCH Publisher, 2002, p. 131-160. 

Figure 9.6 Pressure-effect on rates of some self-exchange electron-transfer reactions between metal ions comparison of observed volumes of activation with values calculated from classical Marcus theory for adiabatic reactions. The plot shows calculated and observed AP values (cm mol ) at mid-range of pressure (100 MPa, except 70 MPa for Fe(H20)g ) for adiabatic (filled symbols) and nonadiabatic (open circles) self-exchange in couples with rigid ligands. Solvents (o, ) water ( ) CD3CN (A) (CD3)2CO (V) CD3OD. Key (A,B) (C,D) Cu(dmp)2 (E-G) Ru(hfac)j (H) Fe(C5H5)2 (I-K) Mn(CN-t-Bu)g ...

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