Calculation of the Gibbs free energy of solvation and dissociation of HCl in water via Monte Carlo simulations and continuum solvation models

Abstract

The Gibbs free energy of solvation and dissociation of hydrogen chloride in water is calculated through a combined molecular simulation/quantum chemical approach at four temperatures between T = 300 and 450 K. The Gibbs free energy is first decomposed into the sum of two components: the Gibbs free energy of transfer of molecular HCl from the vapor to the aqueous liquid phase and the standard-state Gibbs free energy of acid dissociation of HCl in aqueous solution. The former quantity is calculated using Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations using either Kohn-Sham density functional theory or a molecular mechanics force field to determine the system's potential energy. The latter Gibbs free energy contribution is computed using a continuum solvation model utilizing either experimental reference data or micro-solvated clusters. The predicted combined solvation and dissociation Gibbs free energies agree very well with available experimental data.