Simulating biological charge transfer: Continuum dielectric theory or molecular dynamics?

We study the thermodynamic parameters of Marcus's theory of charge transfer, the driving forces and the reorganization energies, using two widely applied approaches to bioenergetic problems that seem to be radically different: continuum dielectric theory via a numerical solution of Poisson's equation, and the thermodynamic integration approach based upon classical Newtonian molecular dynamics, as perfomed by Na et al., PCCP 19, 18,938 (2017). With application to a nitrite reductase NrfHA protein heterodimer, we obtain an excellent agreement between the respective driving forces with an r.m.s. deviation of 1.7 kcal/mol, and a lower limit to the reorganization energies. The computational methods turn out to be mutually supportive: molecular dynamics can be used to determine the parameters of a dielectric theory computation, which on the other hand can be used to properly rescale the reorganization energies and partition them into aqueous and protein contributions. In addition, we use the electrostatic approach to study the influence of Ca²⁺ ions on the free energy landscape of charge transfer.

Void-Assisted Ion-Paired Proton Transfer at Water-Ionic Liquid Interfaces

At the water-trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([P14,6,6,6][FAP]) ionic liquid interface, the unusual electrochemical transfer behavior of protons (H(+)) and deuterium ions (D(+)) was identified. Alkali metal cations (such as Li(+), Na(+), K(+)) did not undergo this transfer. H(+)/D(+) transfers were assisted by the hydrophobic counter anion of the ionic liquid, [FAP](-), resulting in the formation of a mixed capacitive layer from the filling of the latent voids within the anisotropic ionic liquid structure. This phenomenon could impact areas such as proton-coupled electron transfers, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage where ionic liquids are used as aprotic solvents.