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Bittner JP, Smirnova I, Jakobtorweihen S. Investigating Biomolecules in Deep Eutectic Solvents with Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Current State, Challenges and Future Perspectives. Molecules 2024; 29:703. [PMID: 38338447 PMCID: PMC10856712 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29030703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently gained increased attention for their potential in biotechnological applications. DESs are binary mixtures often consisting of a hydrogen bond acceptor and a hydrogen bond donor, which allows for tailoring their properties for particular applications. If produced from sustainable resources, they can provide a greener alternative to many traditional organic solvents for usage in various applications (e.g., as reaction environment, crystallization agent, or storage medium). To navigate this large design space, it is crucial to comprehend the behavior of biomolecules (e.g., enzymes, proteins, cofactors, and DNA) in DESs and the impact of their individual components. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer a powerful tool for understanding thermodynamic and transport processes at the atomic level and offer insights into their fundamental phenomena, which may not be accessible through experiments. While the experimental investigation of DESs for various biotechnological applications is well progressed, a thorough investigation of biomolecules in DESs via MD simulations has only gained popularity in recent years. Within this work, we aim to provide an overview of the current state of modeling biomolecules with MD simulations in DESs and discuss future directions with a focus for optimizing the molecular simulations and increasing our fundamental knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Philipp Bittner
- Institute of Thermal Separation Processes, Hamburg University of Technology, Eißendorfer Straße 38, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Irina Smirnova
- Institute of Thermal Separation Processes, Hamburg University of Technology, Eißendorfer Straße 38, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sven Jakobtorweihen
- Institute of Thermal Separation Processes, Hamburg University of Technology, Eißendorfer Straße 38, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Eißendorfer Straße 38, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
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Yue K, Acevedo O. Uncovering the Critical Factors that Enable Extractive Desulfurization of Fuels in Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents from Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37413969 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c02652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental regulatory agencies have implemented stringent restrictions on the permissible levels of sulfur compounds in fuel to reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality. Problematically, traditional desulfurization methods have shown low effectiveness in the removal of refractory sulfur compounds, e.g., thiophene (TS), dibenzothiophene (DBT), and 4-methyldibenzothiophene (MDBT). In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy perturbation (FEP) have been applied to investigate the use of ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as efficient TS/DBT/MDBT extractants. For the IL simulations, the selected cation was 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium [BMIM] and the anions included chloride [Cl], thiocyanate [SCN], tetrafluoroborate [BF4], hexafluorophosphate [PF6], and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide [NTf2]. The DESs were composed of choline chloride with ethylene glycol (CCEtg) or with glycerol (CCGly). Calculation of excess chemical potentials predicted the ILs to be more promising extractants with energies lower by 1-3 kcal/mol compared to DESs. Increasing IL anion size was positively correlated to enhanced solvation of S-compounds, which was influenced by energetically dominant solute-anion interactions and favorable solute-[BMIM] π-π stacking. For the DESs, the solvent components offered a range of synergistic, yet comparatively weaker, electrostatic interactions that included hydrogen bonding and cation-π interactions. An in-depth analysis of the structure of IL and DES systems is presented, along with a discussion of the critical factors behind experimental trends of S-compound extraction efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yue
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
| | - Orlando Acevedo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
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Li J, Zhang M, He J, Ni P. Exploring anionic homopolymerization and copolymerization of vinyl monomers in deep eutectic solvent. Eur Polym J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2023.112044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
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Benito C, Alcalde R, Atilhan M, Aparicio S. High - Pressure properties of type V Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: the case of menthol : thymol. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Morozova OV, Vasil'eva IS, Shumakovich GP, Zaitseva EA, Yaropolov AI. Deep Eutectic Solvents for Biotechnology Applications. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2023; 88:S150-S175. [PMID: 37069119 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923140092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are an alternative to traditional organic solvents and ionic liquids and meet the requirements of "green" chemistry. They are easy to prepare using low-cost constituents, are non-toxic and biodegradable. The review analyzes literature on the use of DES in various fields of biotechnology, provides data on the types of DESs, methods for their preparation, and properties. The main areas of using DESs in biotechnology include extraction of physiologically active substances from natural resources, pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass to improve enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, production of bioplastics, as well as a reaction medium for biocatalytic reactions. The aim of this review is to summarize available information on the use of new solvents for biotechnological purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Morozova
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center "Fundamental Bases of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Irina S Vasil'eva
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center "Fundamental Bases of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Galina P Shumakovich
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center "Fundamental Bases of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Elena A Zaitseva
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Alexander I Yaropolov
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center "Fundamental Bases of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
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Tolmachev D, Nazarychev V, Fedotova V, Vorobiov V, Lukasheva N, Smirnov M, Karttunen M. Investigation of structure and properties of polymerizable deep eutectic solvent based on choline chloride and acrylic acid. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.121030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Stephens NM, Smith EA. Structure of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): What We Know, What We Want to Know, and Why We Need to Know It. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:14017-14024. [PMID: 36346803 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a tunable class of solvents with many advantageous properties including good thermal stability, facile synthesis, low vapor pressure, and low-to-negligible toxicity. DESs are composed of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors that, when combined, significantly decrease the freezing point of the resulting solvent. DESs have distinct interfacial and bulk structural heterogeneity compared to traditional solvents, in part due to various intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. Many of the physiochemical properties observed for DESs are influenced by structure. However, our understanding of the interfacial and bulk structure of DESs is incomplete. To fully exploit these solvents in a range of applications including catalysis, separations, and electrochemistry, a better understanding of DES structure must be obtained. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of the interfacial and bulk structure of DESs and suggest future research directions to improve our understanding of this important information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Stephens
- Ames National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa 50011-3111, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3111, United States
| | - Emily A Smith
- Ames National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa 50011-3111, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3111, United States
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Engelbrecht LDV, Ji X, Carbonaro CM, Laaksonen A, Mocci F. MD simulations explain the excess molar enthalpies in pseudo-binary mixtures of a choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent with water or methanol. Front Chem 2022; 10:983281. [DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.983281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The addition of molecular liquid cosolvents to choline chloride (ChCl)-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) is increasingly investigated for reducing the inherently high bulk viscosities of the latter, which represent a major obstacle for potential industrial applications. The molar enthalpy of mixing, often referred to as excess molar enthalpy HE—a property reflecting changes in intermolecular interactions upon mixing—of the well-known ChCl/ethylene glycol (1:2 molar ratio) DES mixed with either water or methanol was recently found to be of opposite sign at 308.15 K: Mixing of the DES with water is strongly exothermic, while methanol mixtures are endothermic over the entire mixture composition range. Knowledge of molecular-level liquid structural changes in the DES following cosolvent addition is expected to be important when selecting such “pseudo-binary” mixtures for specific applications, e.g., solvents. With the aim of understanding the reason for the different behavior of selected DES/water or methanol mixtures, we performed classical MD computer simulations to study the changes in intermolecular interactions thought to be responsible for the observed HE sign difference. Excess molar enthalpies computed from our simulations reproduce, for the first time, the experimental sign difference and composition dependence of the property. We performed a structural analysis of simulation configurations, revealing an intriguing difference in the interaction modes of the two cosolvents with the DES chloride anion: water molecules insert between neighboring chloride anions, forming ionic hydrogen-bonded bridges that draw the anions closer, whereas dilution of the DES with methanol results in increased interionic separation. Moreover, the simulated DES/water mixtures were found to contain extended hydrogen-bonded structures containing water-bridged chloride pair arrangements, the presence of which may have important implications for solvent applications.
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Reis GSA, de Souza RM, Ribeiro MCC. Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Far-Infrared Spectrum of a Deep Eutectic Solvent. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:5695-5705. [PMID: 35858287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are similar to ionic liquids (IL) in terms of physicochemical properties and technical uses. In ILs, far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy has been utilized to reveal ionic interactions and even to produce a signature of the strengthening of the cation-anion hydrogen bond. However, for the situation of the DES, where the mixing of a salt and a molecular species makes the interplay between multiple intermolecular interactions even more complex, a full investigation of FIR spectra is still absent. In this work, the FIR spectrum of the DES, often referred to as ethaline, which is a 1:2 mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol, is calculated using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and compared to experimental data. To explore the induced dipole effect on the computed FIR spectrum, MD simulations were run with both nonpolarizable and polarizable models. The calculation satisfactorily reproduces the position of the peak at ∼110 cm-1 and the bandwidth seen in the experimental FIR spectrum of ethaline. The MD simulations show that the charge current is the most important contributor to the FIR spectrum, but the cross-correlation between the charge current and dipole reorientation also plays a role in the polarizable model. The dynamics of the chloride-ethylene glycol correlation span a wide frequency range, with a maximum at ∼150 cm-1, but it participates as a direct mechanism only in the charge current-dipole reorientation cross-term. Anion correlations, whose dynamics are regulated via correlation with both ethylene glycol and choline, make the most significant contribution to the charge current mechanism. The MD simulations were also utilized to investigate the effect on the FIR spectrum of adding water to the DES and switching to a 1:1 composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela S A Reis
- Laboratório de Espectroscopia Molecular, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, 05513-970 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael M de Souza
- Laboratório de Espectroscopia Molecular, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, 05513-970 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mauro C C Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Espectroscopia Molecular, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, 05513-970 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Yue K, Doherty B, Acevedo O. Comparison between Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics and OPLS-Based Force Fields for Ionic Liquid Solvent Organization. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3908-3919. [PMID: 35594504 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OPLS-based force fields (FFs) have been shown to provide accurate bulk-phase properties for a wide variety of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs). However, the ability of OPLS to reproduce an IL solvent structure is not as well-validated given the relative lack of high-level theoretical or experimental data available for comparison. In this study, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations were performed for three widely used ILs: the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation with chloride, tetrafluoroborate, or hexafluorophosphate anions, that is, [BMIM][Cl], [BMIM][BF4], and [BMIM][PF6], respectively, as a basis for further assessment of two unique IL FFs: the ±0.8 charge-scaled OPLS-2009IL FF and the OPLS-VSIL FF. The OPLS-2009IL FF employs a traditional all-atom functional form, whereas the OPLS-VSIL FF was developed using a virtual site that offloads negative charge to inside the plane of the ring with careful attention given to reproducing hydrogen bonding. Detailed comparisons between AIMD and the OPLS FFs were made based on radial distribution functions (RDFs), combined distribution functions (CDFs), and spatial distribution functions (SDFs) to examine cation-anion interactions and π+-π+ stacking between the imidazolium rings. While both FFs were able to correctly capture the general solvent structure of these popular ILs, the OPLS-VSIL FF quantitatively reproduced interaction distances more accurately. In addition, this work provides further insights into the different short- and long-range structure patterns of these popular ILs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yue
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
| | - Brian Doherty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
| | - Orlando Acevedo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
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Dawass N, Langeveld J, Ramdin M, Pérez-Gallent E, Villanueva AA, Giling EJM, Langerak J, van den Broeke LJP, Vlugt TJH, Moultos OA. Solubilities and Transport Properties of CO 2, Oxalic Acid, and Formic Acid in Mixed Solvents Composed of Deep Eutectic Solvents, Methanol, and Propylene Carbonate. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3572-3584. [PMID: 35507866 PMCID: PMC9125562 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Recently, deep eutectic
solvents (DES) have been considered as
possible electrolytes for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to value-added products such as formic and oxalic acids.
The applicability of pure DES as electrolytes is hindered by high
viscosities. Mixtures of DES with organic solvents can be a promising
way of designing superior electrolytes by exploiting the advantages
of each solvent type. In this study, densities, viscosities, diffusivities,
and ionic conductivities of mixed solvents comprising DES (i.e., reline
and ethaline), methanol, and propylene carbonate were computed using
molecular simulations. To provide a quantitative assessment of the
affinity and mass transport of CO2 and oxalic and formic
acids in the mixed solvents, the solubilities and self-diffusivities
of these solutes were also computed. Our results show that the addition
of DES to the organic solvents enhances the solubilities of oxalic
and formic acids, while the solubility of CO2 in the ethaline-containing
mixtures are in the same order of magnitude with the respective pure
organic components. A monotonic increase in the densities and viscosities
of the mixed solvents is observed as the mole fraction of DES in the
mixture increases, with the exception of the density of ethaline-propylene
carbonate which shows the opposite behavior due to the high viscosity
of the pure organic component. The self-diffusivities of all species
in the mixtures significantly decrease as the mole fraction of DES
approaches unity. Similarly, the self-diffusivities of the dissolved
CO2 and the oxalic and formic acids also decrease by at
least 1 order of magnitude as the composition of the mixture shifts
from the pure organic component to pure DES. The computed ionic conductivities
of all mixed solvents show a maximum value for mole fractions of DES
in the range from 0.2 to 0.6 and decrease as more DES is added to
the mixtures. Since for most mixtures studied here no prior experimental
measurements exist, our findings can serve as a first data set based
on which further investigation of DES-containing electrolyte solutions
can be performed for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to useful chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noura Dawass
- Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jilles Langeveld
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Mahinder Ramdin
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Pérez-Gallent
- Department of Sustainable Process and Energy Systems, TNO, Delft, Zuid-Holland 2628CA, The Netherlands
| | - Angel A Villanueva
- Department of Sustainable Process and Energy Systems, TNO, Delft, Zuid-Holland 2628CA, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin J M Giling
- Department of Sustainable Process and Energy Systems, TNO, Delft, Zuid-Holland 2628CA, The Netherlands
| | - Jort Langerak
- Research and Development Department, DMT Environmental Technology, Yndustrywei 3, 8501SN Joure, The Netherlands
| | - Leo J P van den Broeke
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs J H Vlugt
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Othonas A Moultos
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628CB Delft, The Netherlands
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