The quantum nature of the hydrogen bond: insight from path-integral molecular dynamics

Hydrogen (H) bonds are weak, generally intermolecular bonds, that hold together much of soft matter, the condensed phases of water, network liquids, and many ferroelectric crystals. The small mass of H means H-bonds are inherently quantum mechanical; effects such as zero point motion and tunneling should be considered, although often are not. In particular, a consistent picture of quantum nuclear effects on the strength of H-bonds and consequently the structure of H-bonded systems is still absent. Here, we report \textit{ab initio} path-integral molecular dynamics studies on the quantum nature of the H-bond. Systematic examination of a range of H-bonded systems shows that quantum nuclei weaken weak H-bonds but strengthen relatively strong ones. This correlation arises from a competition between anharmonic intermolecular bond bending and intramolecular bond stretching. A simple rule of thumb enables predictions to be made for H-bonded bonded materials in general with merely classical knowledge (e.g.\ H-bond strength or H-bond length). Our work rationalizes the contrasting influence of quantum nuclear dynamics on a wide variety of materials, including liquid water and HF, and highlights the need for flexible molecules in force-field based studies of quantum nuclear dynamics.