Prediction of the pKa's of aqueous metal ion +2 complexes

Aqueous metal ions play an important role in many areas of chemistry. The acidities of [Be(H2O)4](2+), [M(H2O)6](2+), M = Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), and Hg(2+), and [M(H2O)n](2+), M = Ca(2+) and Sr(2+), n = 7 and 8, complexes have been predicted using density functional theory, second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), and coupled cluster CCSD(T) theory in the gas phase. pKa's in aqueous solution were predicted by using self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) calculations with different solvation models. The most common binding motif of the majority of the metal +2 complexes is coordination number (CN) 6, with each hexaaquo cluster having reasonably high symmetry for the best arrangement of the water molecules in the first solvation shell. Be(2+) is tetracoordinated, but a second solvation shell of 8 waters is needed to predict the pKa. The Ca(2+) and Sr(2+) aquo clusters have a coordination number of 7 or 8 as found in terms of the energy of the reaction M(H2O)7(2+) + H2O → M(H2O)8(2+) and the pKa values. The calculated geometries are in reasonable agreement with experiment. The SCRF calculations with the conductor-like screening model (COSMO), and the conductor polarized continuum model (CPCM) using COSMO-RS radii, consistently agree best with experiment at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ and CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ levels of theory. The CCSD(T) level provides the most accurate pKa's, and the MP2 level also provides reliable predictions. Our predictions were used to elucidate the properties of metal +2 ion complexes. The pKa predictions provide confirmation of the size of the first solvation shell sizes. The calculations show that it is still difficult to predict pKa's using this cluster/implicit solvent approach to better than 1 pKa unit.