Effect of temperature and concentration on the structure of tert-butyl alcohol/water mixtures: near-infrared spectroscopic study

Quantifying the Nearly Random Microheterogeneity of Aqueous tert-Butyl Alcohol Solutions Using Vibrational Spectroscopy

The microheterogeneous structure of aqueous tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) solutions is quantified by combining experimental, simulations, and theoretical results. Experimental Raman multivariate curve resolution (Raman-MCR) C-H frequency shift measurements are compared with predictions obtained using combined quantum mechanical and effective fragment potential (QM/EFP) calculations, as well as with molecular dynamics (MD), random mixture (RM), and finite lattice (FL) predictions. The results indicate that the microheterogeneous aggregation in aqueous TBA solutions is slightly less than that predicted by MD simulations performed using either CHARMM generalized force field (CGenFF) or optimized parameters for liquid simulations all atom (OPLS-AA) force fields but slightly more than that in a self-avoiding RM of TBA-like molecules. The results imply that the onset of microheterogeneity in aqueous solutions occurs when solute contact free energies are about an order of magnitude smaller than thermal fluctuations, thus suggesting a fundamental bound of relevance to biological self-assembly.

Theoretical Two Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy of Aqueous Solutions of tert-Butyl Alcohol: Variation of the Dynamics of Spectral Diffusion along the Percolation Transition

Binary mixtures of water and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) are known to exhibit the so-called percolation transition where small clusters of TBA molecules span into large aggregates beyond a threshold concentration of the alcohol. In the present study, we have investigated the linear and two-dimensional infrared spectral features of aqueous solutions of TBA for varying concentration of the alcohol along the percolation transition. The percolation transition is characterized through calculations of intermolecular radial distribution functions and average size of the largest cluster of TBA molecules. It is found that, with variation of alcohol concentration, the radial distribution functions of the central carbon atoms of TBA molecules show a nonmonotonic change in the height of the first peak and also the size of the largest cluster of TBA molecules show a jump in the increase of its size for TBA mole fraction between 0.04 and 0.06 corresponding to a transition from smaller clusters to larger spanning aggregates. However, it is found that the linear infrared spectrum of water does not exhibit any noticeable changes on variation of TBA concentration along the percolation transition. Subsequently, two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectra and vibrational frequency time correlation function of water are calculated for all the TBA-water solutions considered in this study. The spectral diffusion of water calculated from 2DIR is found to slow down with increase of the TBA concentration. The time scales of spectral diffusion of water, as characterized by the relaxation of frequency time correlation function, 2DIR metric of central line slope, and also the hydrogen bond time correlation functions, are found to exhibit a noticeable jump along the percolation transition. The hydrophilic group of TBA is found to retard the water dynamics more effectively than the hydrophobic groups. Also, the jump in the dynamical slowdown along the percolation transition is found to be more significant for water molecules at the hydrophilic sites.

Breaking the Structure of Liquid Hydrogenated Alcohols Using Perfluorinated tert-Butanol: A Multitechnique Approach (Infrared, Raman, and X-ray Scattering) Analyzed by DFT and Molecular Dynamics Calculations

The state of aggregation at room temperature of tert-butanol (TBH) and perfluoro tert-butanol (TBF) liquid mixtures is assessed by vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and infrared) and X-ray diffraction and analyzed using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. It is shown that larger clusters (mostly tetramers) of TBH are destroyed upon dilution with TBF. Small oligomers, monomers, and mainly heterodimers are present at the equimolar concentration. At variance with slightly interacting solvents, the signature of hetero-oligomers is shown by the appearance of a new broad band detected in the infrared region. The same spectral observation is detected for mixtures of other hydrogenated alcohols (methanol and 1-butanol). The new infrared feature is unaffected by dilution in a polar solvent (CDCl₃) in a high-concentration domain, allowing us to assign it to the signature of small hetero-oligomers. MD simulations are used to assess the nature of the species present in the mixture (monomers and small hetero-oligomers) and to follow the evolution of their population upon the dilution. Combining MD simulations with DFT calculations, the infrared spectral profile is successfully analyzed in equimolecular mixtures. This study shows that TBF is a structure breaker of hydrogen-bonded alcohol networks and that the TBF (donor)-TBH (acceptor) heterodimer is the dominant species in an extended range of concentration, centered in the vicinity of the equimolar fraction.

Is the Fourier Transform Infrared Free-OH Band of t-Butanol Only from Free OHs? Case Studies on the Binary Systems of the Alcohol with CCl4 and CHCl3

Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations were performed on tert-butyl alcohol (t-BuOH) and its binary solutions with CCl₄ and CHCl₃. The study was focused on the free-OH stretching bands. Two resolution-enhancing methods, excess spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy, were employed to examine the structural heterogeneity and search for the detailed contributors to the free-OH bands. Unexpectedly, CCl₄ was found not to be an inert solvent and, similar to CHCl₃, formed hydrogen/halogen bonds (H-/X-bond) with t-BuOH. It was observed that the free-OH band in the t-BuOH-CHCl₃ system is larger and more red-shifted than that in the t-BuOH-CCl₄ system, indicating the stronger intermolecular interactions in the former system. Furthermore, in the t-BuOH-CHCl₃ system, the H-bonds are stronger than the X-bonds, while in the t-BuOH-CCl₄ system, both interactions are similar in strength. To assign the free-OH bands, it was found that they are not only from the free OH of the t-BuOH monomer, but they are also contributed by the quasi-free OH with the oxygen bonded to H or Cl and even the weakly H-bonded OH of t-BuOH molecules. Finally, all the identified species increased simultaneously via cosolvent addition, suggestive of the destabilization of the highly associated t-BuOH clusters.

High order derivative to investigate the complexity of the near infrared spectra of aqueous solutions

Derivative calculation is a powerful method for resolution enhancement in spectral analysis. A high order derivative method based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is discussed in the analysis of near infrared (NIR) spectra. The results for a simulated spectrum obtained from conventional numerical differentiation (NM), Fourier transform (FT), Savitzky-Golay (SG) and CWT method were compared. CWT method was found to be as efficient as FT and SG, but easier for high order derivative computation, and the fourth order derivative was proved to be a good choice for resolution enhancement as well as reduction of noise and sidelobe effects. For the NIR spectra of water-ethanol mixtures, the complexity of the spectra can be observed from the fourth derivative, including the spectral features of OH and CH with various intermolecular interactions. Fitting the derivative spectra of the mixtures by those of pure water and ethanol, the obtained coefficients for ethanol show a linear relation with the content but that for water exhibit a non-linear relation, which reveals the influence of ethanol on water structure in the mixture. Furthermore, the information of the water-ethanol clusters was found in the residual spectra after the fitting. Therefore, high order derivative can be an efficient way to improve the resolution of NIR spectra for understanding the interactions in aqueous solutions.

Breakthrough Potential in Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Spectra Simulation. A Review of Recent Developments

Near-infrared (12,500–4,000 cm⁻¹; 800–2,500 nm) spectroscopy is the hallmark for one of the most rapidly advancing analytical techniques over the last few decades. Although it is mainly recognized as an analytical tool, near-infrared spectroscopy has also contributed significantly to physical chemistry, e.g., by delivering invaluable data on the anharmonic nature of molecular vibrations or peculiarities of intermolecular interactions. In all these contexts, a major barrier in the form of an intrinsic complexity of near-infrared spectra has been encountered. A large number of overlapping vibrational contributions influenced by anharmonic effects create complex patterns of spectral dependencies, in many cases hindering our comprehension of near-infrared spectra. Quantum mechanical calculations commonly serve as a major support to infrared and Raman studies; conversely, near-infrared spectroscopy has long been hindered in this regard due to practical limitations. Advances in anharmonic theories in hyphenation with ever-growing computer technology have enabled feasible theoretical near-infrared spectroscopy in recent times. Accordingly, a growing number of quantum mechanical investigations aimed at near-infrared region has been witnessed. The present review article summarizes these most recent accomplishments in the emerging field. Applications of generalized approaches, such as vibrational self-consistent field and vibrational second order perturbation theories as well as their derivatives, and dense grid-based studies of vibrational potential, are overviewed. Basic and applied studies are discussed, with special attention paid to the ones which aim at improving analytical spectroscopy. A remarkable potential arises from the growing applicability of anharmonic computations to solving the problems which arise in both basic and analytical near-infrared spectroscopy. This review highlights an increased value of quantum mechanical calculations to near-infrared spectroscopy in relation to other kinds of vibrational spectroscopy.

Microheterogeneity in binary mixtures of water with CH3OH and CD3OH: ATR-IR spectroscopic, chemometric and DFT studies

Here we report ATR-IR spectroscopic study on the separation at a molecular level (microheterogeneity) and the degree of deviation of H₂O/CH₃OH and H₂O/CD₃OH mixtures from the ideal mixture. Of particular interest is the effect of isotopic substitution in methyl group on molecular structure and interactions in both mixtures. To obtain comprehensive information from the multivariate data we applied the excess molar absorptivity spectra together with two-dimensional correlation analysis (2DCOS) and chemometric methods. In addition, the experimental results were compared and discussed with the structures of various model clusters obtained from theoretical (DFT) calculations. Our results evidence the presence of separation at a molecular level and deviation from the ideal mixture for both mixtures. The experimental and theoretical results show that the maximum of these deviations appears at equimolar mixture. Both mixtures consist of three kinds of species: homoclusters of water and methanol and mixed clusters (heteroclusters). The heteroclusters exist in the whole range of mole fractions with the maximum close to the equimolar mixture. At this mixture composition near 55-60% of molecules are involved in heteroclusters. In contrast, the homoclusters of water occur in a limited range of mole fractions (X_ME < 0.85-0.9). Upon mixing the molecules of methanol form weaker hydrogen bonding as compared with the pure alcohol. In contrast, the molecules of water in the mixture are involved in stronger hydrogen bonding than those in bulk water. All these results indicate that both mixtures have similar degree of deviation from the ideal mixture.

Quantitative determination based on the differences between spectra-temperature relationships

In the Near-infrared (NIR) spectral measurement it is not always possible to keep the experimental conditions constant. The fluctuations in external variables, such as temperature, will result in a nonlinear shift and a broadening of the spectral bands. In this study, the temperature-induced spectral variation coefficient (TSVC) was obtained by using loading space standardization (LSS). The relationship between TSVC and normalized squared temperature was quantitatively analyzed and applied to the quantitative determination of the compositions in mixtures. NIR spectra of peanut-soy-corn oil mixtures measured at seven temperatures were analyzed. It was found that, the relationship between TSVC and normalized squared temperature can be established by using LSS. Furthermore, the quantitative determination of the compositions in a mixture can be achieved by using the difference between the relationships, i.e., the slope of the relationship. The calibration curves between slope and composition volume are found to be reliable with the correlation coefficients (R(2)) as high as 0.9992. Quantitative determination by the calibration curves were also validated. Therefore, the method can be an effective tool for investigating the effect of temperature and quantitatively analysis.

Investigation into the structural composition of hydroalcoholic solutions as basis for the development of multiple suppression pulse sequences for NMR measurement of alcoholic beverages

An eight-fold suppression pulse sequence was recently developed to improve sensitivity in (1) H NMR measurements of alcoholic beverages [Magn. Res. Chem. 2011 (49): 734-739]. To ensure that only one combined hydroxyl peak from water and ethanol appears in the spectrum, adjustment to a certain range of ethanol concentrations was required. To explain this observation, the structure of water-ethanol solutions was studied. Hydroalcoholic solutions showed extreme behavior at 25% vol, 46% vol, and 83% vol ethanol according to (1) H NMR experiments. Near-infrared spectroscopy confirmed the occurrence of four significant compounds ('individual' ethanol and water structures as well as two water-ethanol complexes of defined composition - 1 : 1 and 1 : 3). The successful multiple suppression can be achieved for every kind of alcoholic beverage with different alcoholic strengths, when the final ethanol concentration is adjusted to a range between 25% vol and 46% vol (e.g. using dilution or pure ethanol addition). In this optimum region, an individual ethanol peak was not detected, because the 'individual' water structure and the 1 : 1 ethanol-water complex predominate. The nature of molecular association in ethanol-water solutions is essential to elucidate NMR method development for measurement of alcoholic beverages. The presented approach can be used to optimize other NMR suppression protocols for binary water-organic solvent mixtures, where hydrogen bonding plays a dominant role.

Near-infrared (NIR) study of hydrogen bonding of methanol molecules in polar and nonpolar solvents: an approach from concentration-dependent molar absorptivity

Differences in the hydrogen-bonding states of methanol in polar and nonpolar solvents were studied by using the first overtone of O-H stretching vibrations observed in the near-infrared (NIR) band ranging from 7500 to 6000 cm(-1). To eliminate the absorption of solvents, NIR-inactive nonpolar solvents carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and tetrachloroethylene (C2Cl4) were chosen, along with deuterium-substituted polar solvents acetone-d6, acetonitrile-d3, 1,4-dioxane-d8, and tetrahydrofuran (THF)-d8. The changes in the hydrogen-bonding states of methanol during mixing with the solvents were estimated using the extended molar absorption spectrum, which was defined as the concentration difference. The extended molar absorption spectra in different concentrations were decomposed into a finite number of independent factors using a multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares calculation. Two and three such factors were sufficient to reproduce the extended molar absorption spectra for the nonpolar and polar solvents, respectively. The detailed assignments of each factor were estimated using the calculated loadings and scores. A similarity analysis was also applied to the extended molar absorption spectra of methanol and effectively quantified the deviation from the spectrum of pure methanol. The methanol and solvent affinities were also compared.

Fundamental and overtone vibrational spectroscopy, enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation and equilibrium constant determination of the methanol-dimethylamine complex

We have measured gas phase vibrational spectra of the bimolecular complex formed between methanol (MeOH) and dimethylamine (DMA) up to about 9800 cm(-1). In addition to the strong fundamental OH-stretching transition we have also detected the weak second overtone NH-stretching transition. The spectra of the complex are obtained by spectral subtraction of the monomer spectra from spectra recorded for the mixture. For comparison, we also measured the fundamental OH-stretching transition in the bimolecular complex between MeOH and trimethylamine (TMA). The enthalpies of hydrogen bond formation (ΔH) for the MeOH-DMA and MeOH-TMA complexes have been determined by measurements of the fundamental OH-stretching transition in the temperature range from 298 to 358 K. The enthalpy of formation is found to be -35.8 ± 3.9 and -38.2 ± 3.3 kJ mol(-1) for MeOH-DMA and MeOH-TMA, respectively, in the 298 to 358 K region. The equilibrium constant (Kp) for the formation of the MeOH-DMA complex has been determined from the measured and calculated transition intensities of the OH-stretching fundamental transition and the NH-stretching second overtone transition. The transition intensities were calculated using an anharmonic oscillator local mode model with dipole moment and potential energy curves calculated using explicitly correlated coupled cluster methods. The equilibrium constant for formation of the MeOH-DMA complex was determined to be 0.2 ± 0.1 atm(-1), corresponding to a ΔG value of about 4.0 kJ mol(-1).

Characterization of water binding and dehydration in gelatinized starch

Using near-infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), we investigated the characteristics of water in starch and the effects of the inner structure of starch on dehydration. The results directly show that the dehydration process is significantly more favorable in native starch than in gelatinized starch. When the starch was heated to 100 °C, the water retention in gelatinized starch was 22.35 per total water content, much greater than that in native starch (4.3%). The hydrogen bond network that changes from native starch to gelatinized starch was simultaneously explored, and the weaker hydrogen bonds were found to be predominant in the hydrogen bond network of gelatinized starch.

Spectral insight into intensity variations in phase-transition processes using two-dimensional correlation analysis

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) is widely used in studies of phase-transition processes to provide valuable order information that is useful in investigating these mechanisms. During phase-transition processes, the spectral intensity always changes in an "S"- or "anti-S"-shaped curve. Sample selection of the large and complicated dataset for 2D correlation analysis may impact the resulting sequence and should be given serious consideration. Additionally, the relationship between the sequential order obtained from 2D-COS and the parameters of the intensity change, namely, the transition point and the change rate, is still poorly defined. This article makes an attempt to resolve these problems based on the analysis of simulated spectra by assuming that the band intensity changes in a sigmoid manner without a step delay. It is concluded that the sample range around a transition point with a drastic intensity change defined by asynchronous perturbation-correlation moving-window (PCMW2D) analysis is a reasonable choice, and in this region a band that changes earlier as determined by 2D-COS most likely has an earlier phase-transition point. Also, from the results of segmental analysis, it is proposed that 2D-COS can distinguish the sequence of two bands using only rate difference; however, the rate difference and the form of the intensity change should be considered comprehensively. The insights from the simulated results are applied to analyze the temperature-dependent infrared (IR) spectra of poly[di(butyl)vinyl terephthalate] (PDBVT). The phase-transition mechanism of PDBVT can be clearly found using a suitable sample selection method.

Molecular structure and hydrogen bonding of 2-aminoethanol, 1-amino-2-propanol, 3-amino-1-propanol, and binary mixtures with water studied by Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations

The effect of temperature and water content on the molecular structure and hydrogen bonding of 2-aminoethanol (2AE), 1-amino-2-propanol (2AP), and 3-amino-1-propanol (3AP) has been examined by Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy. The experimental spectra were analyzed using the two-dimensional (2D) correlation approach and chemometrics methods. Interpretation of the spectra was guided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The novelty of the present work relates to the interpretation of the spectra of aminoalcohols in the liquid phase and their mixtures with water based on dimeric structures. The molecules of 2AE and 2AP form stable cyclic dimers through the intermolecular O-H...N hydrogen bonds (HBs), whereas the intramolecular HBs are absent. In contrast, the molecules of 3AP create two kinds of dimers. The first dimer has two intermolecular O-H...N HBs and two intramolecular N-H...O HBs, while the second dimer has the opposite. In the liquid phase the cyclic dimers interact with each other and form higher associates through the intermolecular N-H...O HBs. The temperature rise weakens these interactions but the structure of the dimers remains intact. The majority of the molecules of water act as double proton donors to oxygens linking different molecules of aminoalcohol. This cooperative hydrogen bonding is stronger than that in bulk water. A small amount of one-bonded water occurs in the mixtures, and the population of this species increases with the temperature rise. At higher water content small clusters of water are formed. On the basis of the present results one can conclude that addition of water does not lead to noticeable variations in the structure of liquid aminoalcohols. More significant changes are induced by the temperature variations.

Two-dimensional attenuated total reflection infrared and near-infrared correlation study of the structure of butyl alcohol/water mixtures

The effect of temperature on attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) and near-infrared (NIR) transmission spectra of pure butan-1-ol, butan-2-ol, 2-methyl-propan-1-ol, 2-methyl-propan-2-ol, and mixtures with a small water content (X(H2O) </= 0.1) have been examined. The spectra were analyzed using a two-dimensional (2D) correlation approach. Two kinds of correlation analysis were performed: IR-IR and NIR-NIR homo-correlation and IR-NIR hetero-correlation. Our results reveal that the addition of small to moderate amounts of water does not destroy the structure of alcohol. The presence of water stabilizes the structure of alcohols and this effect is more evident for sec-butanol and tert-butanol. The ATR-IR spectra provide information on the most associated species, whereas absorption of the smaller associates and the free OH group is hardly seen. On the contrary, in the NIR spectra the absorption of the free OH groups dominates. The ability of resolution enhancement in the hetero-correlation asynchronous spectra is reduced as compared to that in the homo-correlation spectra. On the other hand, peaks may appear in the hetero-correlation synchronous spectra that are not observed in the homo- correlation contour plots. The positions of the synchronous peaks were used for evaluation of anharmonicity constants. These values for the free OH group do not depend on the experimental conditions. In contrast, the anharmonicity constants for the bonded OH groups determined from the spectra of pure alcohols may significantly differ from those obtained from diluted solutions.

Effect of temperature and concentration on the structure of sec-butyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol/water mixtures: near-infrared spectroscopic study

The effect of temperature and concentration on the structure of sec-butyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol/water binary mixtures in the alcohol-rich region (mole fraction of water X(H2O) < 0.3) has been studied using Fourier transform (FT) near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The experimental data were analyzed by a two-dimensional (2D) correlation approach and chemometric methods. It was found that molecules of both alcohols in the mixture with water are in the same environment as those in the pure alcohols. Even at very low water content (X(H2O) = 0.001) we did not observe water free from any specific interactions. The molecules of water are attached to the end free OH groups in the open chain associates of alcohol. In this way the structure of neat alcohol remains intact by addition of water. The water-alcohol interactions in sec-butyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol/water mixtures are stronger than those in bulk water. The results obtained at higher water content or elevated temperatures indicate the possibility of water-water interaction. In the alcohol-rich region the hydrophobic effects are of minor importance and the structure and properties of these systems are determined by hydrogen bonding through the hydroxyl groups. Both alcohols behave similarly on the temperature or water content variation; the minor difference results from a different degree of self-association for sec-butyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol.