Computational approaches play an important role in today's materials science owing to the remarkable advances in modern supercomputing architecture and algorithms. Ab initio simulations solely based on a quantum description of matter are now very able to tackle materials problems in which the system contains up to a few thousands atoms. This dissertation aims to address the modern electronic structure calculation methods applied to a range of various materials such as liquid and amorphous phase materials, nanostructures, and small organic molecules. Our simulations were performed within the density functional theory framework, emphasizing the use of real-space ab initio pseudopotentials. On the first part of our study, we performed liquid and amorphous phase simulations by employing a molecular dynamics technique accelerated by a Chebyshev-subspace filtering algorithm. We applied this technique to find l- and a- SiO₂ structural properties that were in a good agreement with experiments. On the second part, we studied nanostructured semiconducting oxide materials, i.e., SnO₂ and TiO₂, focusing on the electronic structures and optical properties. Lastly, we developed an efficient simulation method for non-contact atomic force microscopy. This fast and simple method was found to be a very powerful tool for predicting AFM images for many surface and molecular systems. / text

This thesis deals with first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to investigate hydrogen storage related properties in various high-surface area materials and the ground state crystal structures in alkaline earth dicarbide systems. High-surface area materials have been shown to be very promising for hydrogen storage applications owing to them containing numerous hydrogen adsorption sites and good kinetics for adsorption/desorption. However, one disadvantage of these materials is their very weak interaction with adsorbed hydrogen molecules. Hence, for any feasible applications, the hydrogen interaction energy of these materials must be enhanced.  In metal organic frameworks, approaches for improving the hydrogen interaction energy are opening the metal oxide cluster and decorating hydrogen attracting metals, e.g. Li, at the adsorption sites of the host.  In covalent organic framework-1, the effects of the H2-H2 interaction are also found to play a significant role for enhancing the hydrogen adsorption energy. Moreover, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that hydrogen molecules can be trapped in the host material due to the blockage from adjacent adsorbed hydrogen molecules. In light metal hydride systems, hydrogen ions play two different roles, namely they can behave as "promoter" and "inhibitor" of Li diffusion in lithium imide and lithium amide, respectively.  By studying thermodynamics of Li+ and proton diffusions in the mixture between lithium amide and lithium hydride, it was found that Li+ and proton diffusions inside lithium amide are more favorable than those between lithium amide and lithium hydride. Finally, our results show that the ground state configuration of BeC2 and MgC2 consists of five-membered carbon rings connected through a carbon atom forming an infinitely repeated chain surrounded by Be/Mg ions, whereas the stable crystal structure of the CaC2, SrC2 and BaC2 is the chain type structure, commonly found in the alkaline earth dicarbide systems. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 712

Esta tese tem como objetivo o tratamento quantitativo do desvio de frequência vibracional em líquidos iônicos sob pressão. O estudo dos líquidos iônicos tetrafluoroborato de 1-butil-3- metilimidazólio, 1-hexil-3-metilimidazólio e 1-octil-3-metilimidazólio em alta pressão foram feitos a partir de uma abordagem conjunta entre simulação, espectroscopia e teoria de líquidos. As equações de estado desses sistemas obtidas a partir de dados na faixa de MPa são necessárias na análise de dados espectroscópicos obtidos na região de GPa. Torna-se necessário obter então os dados de densidade desses sistemas para a região de pressão maiores, e uma metodologia para selecionar entre diferentes equações de estado propostas na literatura que extrapolam de forma muito diversa na região de GPa. Duas propostas para validar tais Equações de Estado, e obter os dados de densidade em alta pressão são propostas. A primeira trata de comparar as extrapolações com os dados de Dinâmica Molecular clássica. Isso gera um problema em si pois o próprio campo de força usado nas simulações não foi parametrizado para a região de GPa. No entanto, uma boa concordância da forma da curva obtida via simulação e uma das equações de estado indica que o modelo de Domanska poderia ser considerado superior aos demais. Tal fato é comprovado pela segunda estratégia, em que as diferentes equações de estado são utilizadas para analisar os dados de desvio de frequência do modo de estiramento totalmente simétrico do ânion tetrafluoroborato de forma quantitativa utilizando o modelo de Schweizer e Chandler. A equação de Domanska fornece uma componente atrativa do desvio de frequência com o melhor ajuste linear, como prediz o modelo de Schweizer e Chandler. Além disso, os dados de desvio de frequência dos três sistemas formam uma curva única quando plotados em função da densidade reduzida dos líquidos, e o ajuste geral ao modelo teórico é o melhor dentre todas as equações de estado testadas. Simulações por Dinâmica Molecular ab initio do líquido iônico tetrafluoroborato de 1-butil-3-metilimidazólio sob pressão mostraram que esta metodologia consegue reproduzir quantitativamente o desvio de frequência experimental, mas os espectros vibracionais Raman apresentam uma banda muito ativa que não é observada experimentalmente. / The aim of this thesis is the quantitative treatment of the vibrational frequency shifts of ionic liquids under pressure. The study of the ionic liquids 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-hexyl-3- methylimidazolium and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate under high pressure were made under a simultaneous approach of simulation, spectroscopy and liquid theories. The equations of state of such systems are obtained with data in the MPa range and are necessary in the analysis of spectroscopic data obtained in the GPa range. It becomes necessary to obtain the density data in a larger pressure range, and to develop a methodology that selects through equations of state proposed in literature that extrapolate very differently in the GPa range. Two proposals to validate such equations of state, and obtain high pressure density data, are made. The first one consists in comparing the extrapolations with classic Molecular Dynamics results. This becomes a problem because the force field is not parametrized for this region. However, a good agreement between the simulation curve and the equation of Domanska are obtained which implicates that this equation could be considered better to describe this system under pressure. This finding is in agreement with the second strategy, in which the different equations of state are used to analyze quantitatively the frequency shift data of the totally symmetric stretching mode of the tetrafluoroborate anion using the Schweizer and Chandler model. The equation of Domanska provides a better linear fit of the attractive frequency shift component, as predicted by the model of Schweizer and Chandler. Moreover, the frequency shift data for the three systems colapse in a master curve when they are plotted versus the reduced density, and the overall fit to the model is the best through all equations of state tested. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the 1- butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate under pressure were made and show that this methodology is accurate to describe quantitatively describe the experimental frequency shift, but the Raman spectrum presents an intense band which is not observed experimentally.

Ce travail de thèse est consacré à la rationalisation de verres de tellure, au fort potentiel applicatif. Les résultats ont été obtenus en utilisant la dynamique moléculaire ab initio et le calcul de paramètres RMN sur différents noyaux. Pour valider nos modèles de verres, les résultats théoriques sont comparés aux données expérimentales disponibles, comme les facteurs de structure neutroniques ou des rayons X, ainsi que les spectres RMN du solide. La première partie décrit les méthodes théoriques employées, tandis que les deux chapitres qui suivent se concentrent sur l’utilisation du formalisme GIPAW pour le calcul des paramètres RMN du 73Ge et du 125Te sur des systèmes cristallins et/ou moléculaires. Dans le cas du 125Te, nous avons calibré une fonction linéaire qui relie l’écrantage isotrope calculé au déplacement chimique isotrope. Pour le 73Ge, nous avons pris en compte des effets thermiques pour obtenir des paramètres RMN moyens, en considérant plusieurs configurations extraites d’une dynamique moléculaire à 300 K. La partie suivante est une étude structurale du verre GeTe4, où l’impact de la taille des cellules modélisées et de la fonctionnelle utilisée, ont été analysés. Une confrontation des facteurs de structure théoriques avec ceux obtenus expérimentalement, permet la description de la première sphère de coordination des tellures et des germaniums. La comparaison des spectres RMN expérimentaux et théoriques du 125Te ne vient pas infirmer ces résultats. Les cinquième et sixième chapitres portent sur l’étude des systèmes ternaires Ge-Te-Se et Ge-Ga-Te. La validation de nos modèles par la RMN des 77Se, 125Te, 69Ga et 71Ga, et par les facteurs de structure, nous a permis de caractériser le rôle du sélénium ou du gallium sur la structuration de ces verres. Le dernier chapitre est consacré à l’étude de verre de chalcohalogénures du système binaire Te-Cl. La RMN du solide, les méthodes de diffractions de neutrons et des rayons X, combinées à des calculs ab initio ont permis de faire évoluer les précédents modèles structuraux proposés. / This thesis is devoted to the rationalisation of telluride glasses, with a high applicative potential. Results have been obtained using ab initio molecular dynamics and NMR parameters calculations on different nuclei. In order to validate our glasses models, theoretical results have been compared to available experimental data, as neutron or X-rays scattering structure factors or NMR spectra. The first part describes theoretical methods employed, whereas the two next chapters focus on the use of GIPAW formalism to obtain NMR parameters of 73Ge and 125Te, on crystalline and/or molecular systems. In the case of 125Te, we calibrated a linear function that relates calculated isotropic shielding and isotropic chemical shift. For the 73Ge, we took into account thermal effect to get averaged NMR parameters, by considering several configurations taken from a 300 K molecular dynamics. The next part is a structural study of amorphous GeTe4, where the impact of the size of simulated cells and the functional used, has been analysed. A comparison of theoretical and experimental structure factors, allowed a description of germanium and tellurium first coordination sphere. The comparison of experimental and theoretical 125Te NMR spectra did not disprove these results. Fifth and sixth parts deal with glasses of ternary systems Ge-Se-Te and Ge-Ga-Te. The validation of our models with 77Se, 125Te, 69Ga and 71Ga NMR and structure factors, permitted us to characterize the role of selenium or gallium on glasses structures. Last chapter is dedicated to chalcohalide glasses from the binary system Te-Cl. Solid state NMR, X-rays and neutron diffraction, combined with ab initio calculations, let us make changes in previews suggested structural models.

Les verres de chalcogénure sont ont une grande importance dans des applications optoélectroniques, mais aussi pour leur réseau covalent qui leur procure une "variabilité structurale" accrue. Ce projet étudie des alliages Ge-Se et utilise l'association d'analyses dynamique moléculaire (AIMD), de simulations et de diffusion des rayons X afin de déterminer la structure et la dynamique des phases liquide et vitreuse sous pression. Les alliages de Ge-Se permettent la "formation de verre" sur une large gamme de conditions, ce qui permet de contrôler la rigidité du réseau en augmentant le nombre moyen de coordination en fonction de la teneur en Ge ce qui affectera les propriétés macroscopiques du matériau, comme la résistance au vieillissement, la dureté, la conductivité et la fragilité. Dans cette optique, nous étudions 10 compositions générées/calculées par AIMD, et 5 autres compositions déterminées expérimentalement (i.e par trempe ) couvrant les domaines transitions élastiques souple-rigide suivant les critères de stabilité isostatique de Maxwell. Dans le cas de l'état liquide, la comparaison au préalable des données de la expérimentale permet de valider les modèles structuraux, pour ensuite examiner la dynamique des liquides de Ge-Se à pression ambiante. En partant du postulat que la mobilité atomique du système décroit en devenant plus rigide, l'étude des coefficients de diffusion et de la viscosité à 1050 K a montré des anomalies flagrantes... / Among network forming glasses, chalcogenide glasses are of great importance not only for their optoelectronic applications, but also for the network structure that displays enhanced structural variability due to the covalent bonding network. In this project, we study the Ge-Se binary alloy as the target system in order to investigate the structure and dynamics of the liquid and glassy phases under pressure by using a combination of ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and X-ray scattering experiments...

Orientador: Alex Antonelli / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-29T05:01:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CajahuaringaMacollunco_OscarSamuel_D.pdf: 15985103 bytes, checksum: f54d17d6335170c62196c9e329f257d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Apesar de serem substâncias muito diferentes, silício e gálio, na fase líquida, compartilham muitas anomalias nas suas propriedades termodinâmicas. Evidências teóricas e experimentais sugerem que esses líquidos podem sofrer a chamada transição de fase líquido-líquido (LLPT). Especula-se que este tipo de transição é acompanhada por uma transição dinâmica entre um líquido frágil e um líquido forte, com base nas hipóteses de que o surgimento de um "dip" na função auto-intermediária de espalhamento logo após o regime balístico e o aparecimento do excesso de modos vibracionais em baixas frequências após a LLPT estariam relacionados com o comportamento de líquidos fortes. Foi realizado um estudo da dinâmica desses sistemas através das funções de correlação nas vizinhanças da LLPT usando simulações clássicas. Observamos apenas no caso do silício o aparecimento do "dip" na função auto-intermediária de espalhamento. A densidade de estados vibracionais reduzida de ambos os líquidos apresenta picos em baixas frequências, sugerindo que ambos os líquidos seriam fortes. Desta forma, nos dois casos estudados, as duas hipóteses não são conclusivas. Visando um melhor entendimento, determinamos a viscosidade de cisalhamento de ambos os líquidos em um amplo intervalo de temperatura. A apresentação desses resultados no chamado gráfico de Angell, indica que, em ambos os casos, a LLPT é acompanhada de uma transição de um líquido frágil para um líquido menos frágil, o que não dá suporte às especulações de uma transição frágil-forte. Além de investigar a LLPT em gálio "bulk", foi também estudado o gálio líquido confinado em nanofendas, ou seja, um sistema quase-bidimensional. Foi observada a transição de fase de primeira ordem entre um líquido isotrópico e um líquido ordenado. Por meio de uma série de análises estruturais, tanto de ordem translacional quanto orientacional, conseguimos identificar o líquido ordenado como a fase hexática, que é prevista ocorrer em sistemas bidimensionais segundo a teoria de Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young (KTHNY). Como a LLPT em gálio bulk foi identificada em simulações de dinâmica clássica, realizamos um estudo visando obter evidência da LLPT em simulações de primeiros princípios, que são em princípio mais realísticas. Utilizando o chamado método-Z, que permite estimar a temperatura de fusão, determinamos que o regime super-resfriado do gálio líquido descrito por cálculos de primeiros princípios ocorre em temperaturas abaixo de 400 K. Partindo de um líquido em equilíbrio em 500 K, realizamos simulações a pressão constante igual a zero em que o líquido foi resfriado para 260 K em um intervalo de 145 ps. Não foi observada uma mudança abrupta no volume durante o resfriamento. A fim de melhorar a amostragem em nossas simulações de primeiros princípios, realizamos um estudo de dinâmica molecular a volume constante com troca de réplicas. Foram usadas um total de 10 réplicas entre 400 K e 260 K, em simulações com a duração de 100 ps. Neste caso, a pressão decresceu monotonicamente com a temperatura, o que é característico de líquidos simples que não sofrem LLPT. Cabe ressaltar que nas simulações clássicas que identificaram a LLPT em gálio, a taxa de resfriamento foi muito mais lenta, da ordem de nano-segundos, que seria inexequível para simulações de primeiros princípios / Abstract: Despite of being very different substances, silicon and gallium, in their liquid phase, share several anomalous thermodynamic properties. Theoretical and experimental evidence suggest that these liquids can undergo the so-called liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT). There has been speculated that this transition is accompanied by a dynamic transition form a fragile liquid to a strong liquid, based on the hypothesis that the development of a dip in the self-intermediate scattering function, just after the ballistic regime, and the appearance of excess low frequency vibrational modes just after the LLPT would be related to the behavior of strong liquids. It was performed a study of the dynamics of these systems through the correlation functions in the vicinity of the LLPT using classical simulations. We observed the development of a dip in the self-intermediate scattering function only in the case o silicon. The reduced density of vibrational states of both liquids exhibits peaks in low frequencies, suggesting both liquids to be strong. Therefore, for the two cases we studied, the two hypotheses are not conclusive. In order to achieve a better understanding, we determined the shear viscosity of both liquids for a wide range of temperatures. By plotting the data in the so-called Angell plot one can see that, in both cases, the LLPT is accompanied by a transition of a fragile liquid to a less fragile liquid, which does not give support to the speculations of a fragile-to-strong transition. Aside from investigating the LLPT in bulk gallium, it was also studied liquid gallium confined in nanoslits. i.e., a quasi two-dimensional system. It was observed a first-order transition between an isotropic liquid and an ordered liquid. Through a series of structural analyses, both translational and orientational, we were able to identify the ordered liquid as the hexatic phase, which is predict to occur in two-dimensional systems according to the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young (KTHNY) theory. Since the LLPT in gallium has been found in classical molecular dynamics simulations, we performed a study aimed to obtain evidence of the LLPT in first-principles simulations, which are, in principle, more realistic. Using the so-called Z-method, which allows one to estimate the melting temperature, we determined the supercooled regime of liquid gallium, described by first-principles, to occur below 400 K. Starting from an equilibrated liquid at 500 K, we performed simulations at zero pressure in which the liquid was cooled down to 260 K in an interval of 145 ps. No abrupt change in the volume was observed as the liquid was cooled. In order to improve sampling in our first-principles simulations, we performed a study using constant volume molecular dynamics with replica exchange. Ten replicas were used between 400 K and 260 K, in simulations 100 ps long. In this case, pressure decreased monotonically with temperature, which is the behavior of simple liquids, which do not exhibit the LLPT. It should be emphasized that in the classical simulations that identified the LLPT in gallium, the cooling rates were much slower, of the order of nanoseconds, which would be unfeasible for first-principles simulations / Doutorado / Física / Doutor em Ciências / 1000949 / CAPES

Die zuverlässige Berechnung der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit vieler Materialien aus ersten Prinzipien erfordert die Berücksichtigung der anharmonischen Gitterdynamik. Der ab initio Kubo-Greenwood (KG)-Ansatz, der die KG-Leitfähigkeitsformel und die ab initio-Molekulardynamik kombiniert, scheint vielversprechend zu sein, da er die Anharmonizität des Gitters auf natürliche Weise berücksichtigt. Seine Anwendung auf kristalline Materialien hat jedoch bisher nur wenig Beachtung gefunden. Diese Arbeit beschreibt den KG-Ansatz und stellt eine numerische Implementierung dieses Ansatzes für den harmonischen Kristall Si und den anharmonischen Kristall SnSe vor. Die Fallstudie für Si zeigt erhebliche numerische Schwierigkeiten bei den KG-Berechnungen auf. Insbesondere behindert die erforderliche dichte k-Punkt-Abtastung die Konvergenz in Superzellengröße und macht die Berechnungen nur innerhalb der (semi-)lokalen Dichtefunktionaltheorie (DFT) durchführbar. Außerdem führt die notwendige Einführung eines Verbreiterungsparameters (η) zu einer erheblichen Unsicherheit bei der Bestimmung der Leitfähigkeit. Um diese Probleme zu lösen, werden rechnerisch effiziente Strategien diskutiert, darunter: (i) der "Scherenoperator"-Ansatz zur Korrektur des DFT-Bandlückenproblems; (ii) das "Optimal-η-Schema" zur Wahl eines geeigneten Wertes von η; und (iii) die Finite-Size-Scaling-Methode zur Ableitung der Leitfähigkeit in der thermodynamischen Grenze. Es wird festgestellt, dass die KG-Berechnungen mit diesen Strategien Leitfähigkeiten in angemessener Übereinstimmung mit den Experimenten ergeben. Der Vergleich mit früheren ab initio Boltzmann-Transportberechnungen zeigt jedoch, dass das η-Problem und die Frage der Konvergenz in Superzellengröße weiter verbesserte Konzepte erfordern. Die Fallstudie für SnSe zeigt sehr ähnliche numerische Schwierigkeiten wie im Fall von Si. Es werden Einblicke in die Auswirkung der Anharmonizität auf die Konvergenz der Superzellengröße gegeben. / Reliable first-principles calculation of the electrical conductivity in many materials requires accounting for the anharmonic lattice dynamics. The ab initio Kubo-Greenwood (KG) approach, which combines the KG conductivity formula and ab initio molecular dynamics, appears to be promising because it naturally includes lattice anharmonicity. However, its application to crystalline materials has so far received very little attention. This thesis describes the KG approach and presents a numerical implementation of this approach for the harmonic crystal Si and the anharmonic crystal SnSe. The case study for Si identifies considerable numerical difficulties in the KG calculations. In particular, the dense k-point sampling required hinders supercell-size convergence and makes the calculations only feasible within (semi)local density-functional theory (DFT). Besides, the necessary introduction of a broadening parameter (η) introduces a significant uncertainty in determining the conductivity. To address these issues, computationally efficient strategies are discussed, including: (i) the "scissor operator" approach to correct the DFT band-gap problem; (ii) the "optimal-η scheme" to choose an appropriate value of η; and (iii) the finite-size scaling method to deduce the conductivity in the thermodynamic limit. It is found that with these strategies, the KG calculations yield conductivities in reasonable agreement with experiment. Yet, comparison with previous ab initio Boltzmann transport calculations shows that the η problem and the issue of supercell-size convergence still require improved concepts. The case study for SnSe shows very similar numerical difficulties as in the case of Si. Insights into the effect of anharmonicity on the supercell-size convergence are provided.

The present work demonstrates the application of molecular simulations (MD) in two different areas: proton transport in bulk water and estimation of the dipole moment of polar organic compounds. In both areas, relatively few successful and robust methodologies exist. In the first part, a new polarizable water model is developed for MD simulations of the proton transport process. The model was parametrized from a combination of quantum chemical calculations and experimental water properties. The model was implemented in MD simulation studies of liquid water at room temperature, as well as with excess protons. For pure water the model gave good agreement with experimental properties. The proton transport rate for a single excess proton also gave a good match with the experimental value. The water model was further extended to include chloride ions. At 0.2 M concentration the resulting density and structure agreed well with experiment, and the proton transport rate was found to be slightly reduced. The model was further extended to include multiple excess protons. For the second part of the project, an open source ab initio MD program, SIESTA, was used to perform simulations of several organic compounds which potentially have multiple stable conformations, to determine their average dipole moments. A series of methods was developed. The most robust method involved modifications to the SIESTA code and statistical analysis of the resulting configurations, in order to more accurately predict the average dipole moment. The resulting dipole moments were in good agreement with the experimental values for cases in which experimental values were reliable. Based on this study, a general method to estimate the average dipole moment of any compound is proposed.

The reactivity and bonding of an ethinyl-functionalized cyclooctyne on Si(001) is studied by means of density functional theory. This system is promising for the organic functionalization of semiconductors. Singly bonded adsorption structures are obtained by [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of the cyclooctyne or ethinyl group with the Si(001) surface. A thermodynamic preference for adsorption with the cyclooctyne group in the on-top position is found and traced back to minimal structural deformation of the adsorbate and surface with the help of energy decomposition analysis for extended systems (pEDA). Starting from singly bonded structures, a plethora of reaction paths describing conformer changes and consecutive reactions with the surface are discussed. Strongly exothermic and exergonic reactions to doubly bonded structures are presented, while small reaction barriers highlight the high reactivity of the studied organic molecule on the Si(001) surface. Dynamic aspects of the competitive bonding of the functional groups are addressed by ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Several trajectories for the doubly bonded structures are obtained in agreement with calculations using the nudged elastic band approach. However, our findings disagree with the experimental observations of selective adsorption by the cyclooctyne moiety, which is critically discussed.

Les réactions de transfert de proton se retrouvent abondamment dans la nature et sont des processus cruciaux dans plusieurs réactions chimiques et biologiques, qui se produisent souvent en milieu aqueux. Les mécanismes régissant ces échanges de protons sont complexes et encore mal compris, suscitant un intérêt des chercheurs en vue d’une meilleure compréhension fondamentale du processus de transfert. Le présent manuscrit présente une étude mécanistique portant sur une réaction de transfert de proton entre un acide (phénol fonctionnalisé) et une base (ion carboxylate) en phase aqueuse. Les résultats obtenus sont basés sur un grand nombre de simulations de dynamique moléculaire ab-initio réalisées pour des systèmes de type « donneur-pont-accepteur », où le pont se trouve à être une unique molécule d’eau, permettant ainsi l’élaboration d’un modèle cinétique détaillé pour le système étudié. La voie de transfert principalement observée est un processus ultra-rapide (moins d’une picoseconde) passant par la formation d’une structure de type « Eigen » (H9O4+) pour la molécule d’eau pontante, menant directement à la formation des produits. Une seconde structure de la molécule d’eau pontante est également observée, soit une configuration de type « Zündel » (H5O2+) impliquant l’accepteur de proton (l’ion carboxylate) qui semble agir comme un cul-de-sac pour la réaction de transfert de proton. / Proton transfer reactions are found abundantly in nature and are critical processes in several chemical and biological reactions, which often occur in aqueous medium. The mechanisms governing these proton exchanges are complex and poorly understood, sparking interest of researchers for a better fundamental understanding of the transfer process. This manuscript presents a mechanistic study for a proton transfer reaction between an acid (functionalized phenol) and a base (carboxylate ion) in aqueous phase. The results are based on a large number of Ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations performed for a “donor-bridge-acceptor” type of system, where the bridge is a single molecule of water, allowing the development of a detailed kinetic model for this system. The transfer channel mainly observed is an ultra-fast one (less than a picosecond), through the formation of a Eigen-like (H9O4+) structure for the bridging water molecule, leading directly to the formation of the products. A second structure of the bridging water molecule is also observed, which is a Zündel-like (H5O2+) configuration involving the proton acceptor (carboxylate ion), which seems to act as a dead-end for the proton transfer reaction.