Theoretical study on the mechanism of double proton transfer in porphycene by path-integral molecular dynamics simulations

Full-dimensional path-integral molecular dynamics simulations were performed to determine whether the double proton transfer tautomerization of porphycene is a concerted or a stepwise process. We employed an on-the-fly direct dynamics technique at the semiempirical PM6 method whose parameters were determined so as that the relative energies of the stationary points approximately reproduce previously reported electronic structure calculations. It was found that double proton transfer occurs dominantly through the concerted pathway via the second-order saddle point structure and that contribution of the stepwise mechanism increases with a temperature increase. Nuclear quantum effects play essential roles in determining the proton transfer mechanism.