Theoretical study of CH…O hydrogen bond in proton transfer reaction of glycine

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to study the strength of the CH…O H-bond in the proton transfer reaction of glycine. Comparison has been made between four proton transfer reactions (ZW1, ZW2, ZW3, SCRFZW) in glycine. The structural parameters of the zwitterionic, transition, and neutral states of glycine are strongly perturbed when the proton transfer takes place. It has been found that the interaction of water molecule at the side chain of glycine is high in the transition state, whereas it is low in the zwitterionic and neutral states. This strongest multiple hydrogen bond interaction in the transition state reduces the barrier for the proton transfer reaction. The natural bond orbital analysis have also been carried out for the ZW2 reaction path, it has been concluded that the amount of charge transfer between the neighboring atoms will decide the strength of H-bond. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006