Displacement of the proton in hydrogen-bonded complexes of hydrogen fluoride by beryllium and magnesium ions

Abstract

The displacement of the proton by a beryllium ion and by a magnesium ion from hydrogen-bonded complexes of hydrogen fluoride, of varying hydrogen bond strengths, was investigated theoretically using ab initio methods. Stable metal-containing species were obtained from all of the hydrogen-bonded complexes regardless of the strength of the hydrogen bond. It was found that the beryllium ion was energetically very effective in displacing the proton from hydrogen bonds, whereas the magnesium ion was unable to do so. The high stability of the beryllium-containing complexes is mainly due to the strong electrostatic bonding between the beryllium and fluoride atoms. This work supports the recent finding from a multidisciplinary bioinorganic study that beryllium displaces the proton in many strong hydrogen bonds.