Molecular dynamics of excited state intramolecular proton transfer: 3-hydroxyflavone in solution

The ultrafast enol-keto photoisomerization in the lowest singlet excited state of 3-hydroxyflavone is investigated using classical molecular dynamics in conjunction with empirical valence bond (EVB) potentials for the description of intramolecular interactions, and a molecular mechanics and variable partial charge model, dependent on transferring proton position, for the description of solute-solvent interactions. A parallel multi-level genetic program was used to accurately fit the EVB potential energy surfaces to high level ab initio data. We have studied the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction in three different solvent environments: methylcyclohexane, acetonitrile, and methanol. The effects of the environment on the proton transfer time and the underlying mechanisms responsible for the varied time scales of the ESIPT reaction rates are analyzed. We find that simulations with our EVB potential energy surfaces accurately reproduce experimentally determined reaction rates, fluorescence spectra, and vibrational frequency spectra in all three solvents. Furthermore, we find that the ultrafast ESIPT process results from a combination of ballistic transfer, and intramolecular vibrational redistribution, which leads to the excitation of a set of low frequency promoting vibrational modes. From this set of promoting modes, we find that an O-O in plane bend and a C-H out of plane bend are present in all three solvents, indicating that they are fundamental to the ultrafast proton transfer. Analysis of the slow proton transfer trajectories reveals a solvent mediated proton transfer mechanism, which is diffusion limited.