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Progression of computational resources towards exascale computing makes possible simulations of unprecedented accuracy and complexity in the fields of materials and molecular modelling (MMM), allowing high fidelity in silico experiments on complex materials of real technological interest. However, this presents demanding challenges for the software used, especially the exploitation of the huge degree of parallelism available on exascale hardware, and the associated problems of developing effective workflows and data management on such platforms. As part of the UKs ExCALIBUR exascale computing initiative, the UK-led MMM Design and Development Working Group has worked with the broad MMM community to identify a set of high priority application case studies which will drive future exascale software developments. We present an overview of these case studies, categorized by the methodological challenges which will be required to realize them on exascale platforms, and discuss the exascale requirements, software challenges and impact of each application area.

We perform restrained hybrid Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to compute the equilibrium constant of the dissociation reaction of HF in HF(H2O)7. We find that the HF is a stronger acid in the cluster than in the bulk, and its acidity is higher at lower T. The latter phenomenon has a vibrational entropic origin, resulting from a counterintuitive balance of intra- and intermolecular terms. We find also a temperature dependence of the reactions mechanism. At low T (≤225 K) the dissociation reaction follows a concerted path, with the H atoms belonging to the relevant hydrogen bond chain moving synchronously. At higher T (300 K), the first two hydrogen atoms move together, forming an intermediate metastable state having the structure of an eigen ion (H9O4(+)), and then the third hydrogen migrates completing the reaction. We also compute the dissociation rate constant, kRP. At very low T (≤75 K) kRP depends strongly on the temperature, whereas it gets almost constant at higher T’s. With respect to the bulk, the HF dissociation in the HF(H2O)7 is about 1 order of magnitude faster. This is due to a lower free energy barrier for the dissociation in the cluster.