Differential solvation free energies of oxonium and ammonium ions: insights from quantum chemical calculations

We have employed computational protocols to determine the differential solvation free energy in water of oxonium and ammonium ions. We have focused our analysis on pairs of onium ions having the same hydrocarbon content and substitutional pattern (HCSP pairs). In agreement with previous suggestions (Taft, R. W.; Wolf. J. F.; Beauchamp, J. L.; Scorrano, G.; Arnett, E. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1978, 100, 1240), we found that cavitation and van der Waals terms do not contribute to the differential solvation free energy. Moreover, we observe that oxonium ions are more strongly solvated than the analogous ammonium ions even though the former ones have fewer H-bond donor sites. The performance of two different continuum solvation models, PCM and SMD, is discussed.