Transmittance Fourier transform infrared spectra of liquid water in the whole mid-infrared region: temperature dependence and structural analysis

The isosbestic point in the Raman spectra of the hydration shell

Isosbestic point is often observed in a series of spectra, but their interpretation is still controversial, such as whether the continuum model can produce an isosbestic point. In order to answer this question, the Raman spectra of hydration shell with continuous distribution structure in different ionic aqueous solutions were separated by Raman ratio spectra, and an isosbestic point was successfully observed. Our experimental results show that the continuum model can indeed produce the isosbestic point. In order to deepen the understanding of the isosbestic point, we calculate the first moment of the Raman spectra and conduct molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both experimental and theoretical findings indicate that elevated temperatures lead to increased disorder among water molecules within the hydration shell.

Ubiquity of the Micrometer-Thick Interface along a Quartz-Water Boundary

Water-rock interactions determine how the geochemical cycles revolve from the Earth's surface to the deep interior (large T-P intervals). The underlying mechanisms interweave the fluxes of matter, time, and reactivity between fluid phases and solids. The deformation processes of crustal rocks are also known to be significantly affected by the presence or absence of water, typically with the hydrolytic weakening of quartz, olivine, and other silicate minerals. In fact, fluid-rock interactions mechanistically unfold along their interfaces, developing over a certain thickness within the two phases. Diffraction-limited mid-infrared microspectroscopy was employed to monitor the thermodynamic characteristics of liquid water along a quartz boundary. The hyperspectral Fourier transform infrared data set displayed a very strong distance-dependent signature for water over a 1 ± 0.5 μm thickness, while quartz appears unmodified, which is consistent with recent studies. This unexpected thick interface is tested against the geometry of the inclusion, the chemistry of the occluded liquid (especially pH), and the thermal conditions ranging from room temperature to 155 °C. Throughout this range of physicochemical conditions, the micrometer-thick interface is characterized by a ubiquitous, significant shift in the Gibbs free energy of water inside the interfacial layer. This conclusion suggests that the interface-imprinting phenomenon driving this microthick layer has thermodynamic roots that give rise to specific properties along the quartz-water interface. This finding questions the systematic use of the bulk phase data sets to evaluate how water-rock interactions progress in porous media.

Developing a Prolamin-Based Gel for Food Packaging: In-Vitro Assessment of Cytocompatibility

Growing environmental concerns drive efforts to reduce packaging waste by adopting biodegradable polymers, coatings, and films. However, biodegradable materials used in packaging face challenges related to barrier properties, mechanical strength, and processing compatibility. A composite gel was developed using biodegradable compounds (prolamin, d-mannose, citric acid), as a coating to increase the oxygen barrier of food packaging materials. To improve gel stability and mechanical properties, the gels were physically cross-linked with particles synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate and tetramethyl orthosilicate precursors. Additionally, biocompatibility assessments were performed on human keratinocytes and fibroblasts, demonstrating the safety of the gels for consumer contact. The gel properties were characterized, including molecular structure, morphology, and topography. Biocompatibility of the gels was assessed using bioluminescent ATP assay to detect cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase assay to determine cell cytotoxicity, and a leukocyte stimulation test to detect inflammatory potential. A composite gel with strong oxygen barrier properties in low-humidity environments was prepared. Increasing the silane precursor to 50 wt% during gel preparation slowed degradation in water. The addition of citric acid decreased gel solubility. However, higher precursor amounts increased surface roughness, making the gel more brittle yet mechanically resistant. The increase of precursor in the gel also increased gel viscosity. Importantly, the gels showed no cytotoxicity on human keratinocytes or fibroblasts and had no inflammatory effects on leukocytes. This composite gel holds promise for oxygen barrier food packaging and is safe for consumer contact. Further research should focus on optimizing the stability of the oxygen barrier in humid environments and investigate the potential sensitizing effects of biodegradable materials on consumers.

Physicochemical Mechanisms of Protection Offered by Agarose Encapsulation during Cryopreservation of Mammalian Cells in the Absence of Membrane-Penetrating Cryoprotectants

During freeze/thaw, cells are exposed to mechanical, thermal, chemical, and osmotic stresses, which cause loss of viability and function. Cryopreservation agents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) are deployed to minimize freeze/thaw damage. However, there is a pressing need to eliminate DMSO from cryopreservation solutions due to its adverse effects. This is of the highest priority especially for cryopreservation of infusible/transplantable cell therapy products. In order to address this issue, we introduce reversible encapsulation in agarose hydrogels in the presence of the membrane-impermeable cryoprotectant, trehalose, as a viable, safe, and effective cryopreservation method. Our findings, which are supported by IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry analyses, demonstrate that encapsulation in 0.75% agarose hydrogels containing 10-20% trehalose inhibits mechanical damage induced by eutectic phase change, devitrification, and recrystallization, resulting in post-thaw viability comparable to the gold standard 10% DMSO.

Two-dimensional infrared-Raman spectroscopy as a probe of water's tetrahedrality

Two-dimensional spectroscopic techniques combining terahertz (THz), infrared (IR), and visible pulses offer a wealth of information about coupling among vibrational modes in molecular liquids, thus providing a promising probe of their local structure. However, the capabilities of these spectroscopies are still largely unexplored due to experimental limitations and inherently weak nonlinear signals. Here, through a combination of equilibrium-nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) and a tailored spectrum decomposition scheme, we identify a relationship between the tetrahedral order of liquid water and its two-dimensional IR-IR-Raman (IIR) spectrum. The structure-spectrum relationship can explain the temperature dependence of the spectral features corresponding to the anharmonic coupling between low-frequency intermolecular and high-frequency intramolecular vibrational modes of water. In light of these results, we propose new experiments and discuss the implications for the study of tetrahedrality of liquid water.

Polymorphism and Ligand Binding Modulate Fast Dynamics of Human Telomeric G-Quadruplexes

Telomeric G-quadruplexes (G4s) are promising targets in the design and development of anticancer drugs. Their actual topology depends on several factors, resulting in structural polymorphism. In this study, we investigate how the fast dynamics of the telomeric sequence AG3(TTAG3)3 (Tel22) depends on the conformation. By using Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy, we show that, in the hydrated powder state, Tel22 adopts parallel and mixed antiparallel/parallel topologies in the presence of K+ and Na+ ions, respectively. These conformational differences are reflected in the reduced mobility of Tel22 in Na+ environment in the sub-nanosecond timescale, as probed by elastic incoherent neutron scattering. These findings are consistent with the G4 antiparallel conformation being more stable than the parallel one, possibly due to the presence of ordered hydration water networks. In addition, we study the effect of Tel22 complexation with BRACO19 ligand. Despite the quite similar conformation in the complexed and uncomplexed state, the fast dynamics of Tel22-BRACO19 is enhanced compared to that of Tel22 alone, independently of the ions. We ascribe this effect to the preferential binding of water molecules to Tel22 against the ligand. The present results suggest that the effect of polymorphism and complexation on the G4 fast dynamics is mediated by hydration water.

Quantitatively relating magnetic resonance T1 and T2 to glycosaminoglycan and collagen concentrations mediated by penetrated contrast agents and biomacromolecule-bound water

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising non-invasive method to assess cartilage regeneration based on the quantitative relationship between MRI features and concentrations of the major components in the extracellular matrix (ECM). To this end, in vitro experiments are performed to investigate the relationship and reveal the underlying mechanism. A series of collagen (COL) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) solutions at different concentrations are prepared, and T₁ and T₂ relaxation times are measured with or without a contrast agent (Gd-DTPA^2-) by MRI. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry is also used to measure the contents of biomacromolecule-bound water and other water, allowing theoretical derivation of the relationship between biomacromolecules and the resulting T₂ values. It has been revealed that the MRI signal in the biomacromolecule aqueous systems is mainly influenced by the protons in hydrogens of biomacromolecule-bound water, which we divide into inner-bound water and outer-bound water. We have also found that COL results in higher sensitivity of bound water than GAG in T₂ mapping. Owing to the charge effect, GAG regulates the penetration of the contrast agent during dialysis and has a more significant effect on T₁ values than COL. Considering that COL and GAG are the most abundant biomacromolecules in the cartilage, this study is particularly useful for the real-time MRI-guided assessment of cartilage regeneration. A clinical case is reported as an in vivo demonstration, which is consistent with our in vitro results. The established quantitative relation plays a critical academic role in establishing an international standard ISO/TS24560-1:2022 'Clinical evaluation of regenerative knee articular cartilage using delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and T₂ mapping' drafted by us and approved by International Standard Organization.

Low energy electrodynamics of CrI3 layered ferromagnet

We report on the optical properties from terahertz (THz) to Near-Infrared (NIR) of the layered magnetic compound CrI3 at various temperatures, both in the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phase. In the NIR spectral range, we observe an insulating electronic gap around 1.1 eV which strongly hardens with decreasing temperature. The blue shift observed represents a record in insulating materials and it is a fingerprint of a strong electron-phonon interaction. Moreover, a further gap hardening is observed below the Curie temperature, indicating the establishment of an effective interaction between electrons and magnetic degrees of freedom in the ferromagnetic phase. Similar interactions are confirmed by the disappearance of some phonon modes in the same phase, as expected from a spin-lattice interaction theory. Therefore, the optical properties of CrI3 reveal a complex interaction among electronic, phononic and magnetic degrees of freedom, opening many possibilities for its use in 2-Dimensional heterostructures.

Ordered-to-Disordered Transformation of Enhanced Water Structure on Hydrophobic Surfaces in Concentrated Alcohol-Water Solutions

The effects of hydrophobic solutes on the structure of the surrounding water have been a topic of debate for almost 70 years. However, a consistent description of the physical insight into the causes of the anomalous thermodynamic properties of alcohol-water mixtures is lacking. Here we report experimental results that combined temperature-dependent linear and femtosecond infrared spectroscopy measurements to explore the water structural transformation in concentrated alcohol-water solutions. Experiments show that the enhancement of water structure arises around microhydrophobic interfaces at room temperature in the solutions. As temperature increases, this ordered water structure disappears and a surface topography-dependent new disordered water structure arises at concentrated solutions of large alcohols. The water structural transformation is dependent on not only the length of the alkyl chain but also the clustering of the alcohols. A more-ordered-than-water structure can transform into a less-ordered-than-water structure.

Efficient Spectral Diffusion at the Air/Water Interface Revealed by Femtosecond Time-Resolved Heterodyne-Detected Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

Femtosecond vibrational dynamics at the air/water interface is investigated by time-resolved heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation (TR-HD-VSFG) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The low- and high-frequency sides of the hydrogen-bonded (HB) OH stretch band at the interface are selectively excited with special attention to the bandwidth and energy of the pump pulses. Narrow bleach is observed immediately after excitation of the high-frequency side of the HB OH band at ∼3500 cm(-1), compared to the broad bleach observed with excitation of the low-frequency side at ∼3300 cm(-1). However, the time-resolved spectra observed with the two different excitations become very similar at 0.5 ps and almost indistinguishable by 1.0 ps. This reveals that efficient spectral diffusion occurs regardless of the difference of the pump frequency. The experimental observations are well-reproduced by complementary MD simulation. There is no experimental and theoretical evidence that supports extraordinary slow dynamics in the high-frequency side of the HB OH band, which was reported before.

Solute-Solvent Interactions in Aqueous Solutions of Sulfobutyl Ether-β-cyclodextrin As Probed by UV-Raman and FTIR-ATR Analysis

A vibrational study by means of UV-Raman and FTIR-ATR measurements has been performed on sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD)-water solutions, as a function of concentration and temperature, with the aim to provide a molecular-scale explanation of the enhanced performances as carrier agent exhibited by this modified macrocycle with respect to natural cyclodextrin. The attention has been mainly paid to the modifications induced on the vibrational band assigned to the O-H stretching intramolecular mode, in turn related to the dynamical rearrangement occurring in the hydrogen bonding (HB) network of water molecules. The results of our measurements clearly showed a characteristic "structure-breaker" effect on the tetrahedral HB arrangements induced on water molecules by increasing of both temperature and solute concentration, allowing us to also extract thermodynamic parameters. These results could be a key step for a clearer understanding of the connection between the dynamical properties of hydration water and the complexing ability of this cyclodextrin derivative.

The effect of halide and iodate anions on the hydrogen-bonding network of water in aqueous nanodrops

The hydration of halide and iodate anions was investigated using electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry and infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy.

Toward an understanding of the thermosensitive behaviour of pH-responsive hydrogels based on cyclodextrins

The molecular mechanism responsible for the thermosensitive behaviour exhibited by pH-responsive cyclodextrin-based hydrogels is explored here with the twofold aim of clarifying some basic aspects of H-bond interactions in hydrogel phases and contributing to a future engineering of cyclodextrin hydrogels for targeted delivery and release of bioactive agents. The degree of H-bond association of water molecules entrapped in the gel network and the extent of intermolecular interactions involving the hydrophobic/hydrophilic moieties of the polymer matrix are probed by UV Raman and IR experiments, in order to address the question of how these different and complementary aspects combine to determine the pH-dependent thermal activation exhibited by these hydrogels. Complementary vibrational spectroscopies are conveniently employed in this study with the aim of safely disentangling the spectral response arising from the two main components of the hydrogel systems, i.e. the polymer matrix and water solvent. The experimental evidence suggests that the dominant effects in the mechanism of solvation of cyclodextrin-based hydrogels are due to the changes occurring, upon increasing of temperature, in the hydrophobicity character of specific chemical moieties of the polymer, as triggered by pH variations. The achievements of this work corroborate the potentiality of the UV Raman scattering technique, in combination with more conventional IR experiments, to provide a "molecular view" of complex macroscopic phenomena exhibited in hydrogel phases.

Effects of electronic structure on the hydration of PbNO3(+) and SrNO3(+) ion pairs

Hydration of PbNO3(+) and SrNO3(+) with up to 30 water molecules was investigated with infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy and with theory. These ions are the same size, yet the IRPD spectra of these ion pairs for n = 2-8 are significantly different. Bands in the bonded O-H region (∼3000-3550 cm(-1)) indicate that the onset of a second hydration shell begins at n = 5 for PbNO3(+) and n = 6 for SrNO3(+). Spectra for [PbNO3](+)(H2O)2-5 and [SrNO3](+)(H2O)3-6 indicate that the structures of clusters with Pb(ii) are hemidirected with a void in the coordinate sphere. A natural bond orbital analysis of [PbNO3](+)(H2O)5 indicates that the anisotropic solvation of the ion is due to a region of asymmetric electron density on Pb(ii) that can be explained by charge transfer from the nitrate and water ligands into unoccupied p-orbitals on Pb(ii). There are differences in the IRPD spectra of PbNO3(+) and SrNO3(+) with up to 25 water molecules attached. IR intensity in the bonded O-H region is blue-shifted by ∼50 cm(-1) in nanodrops containing SrNO3(+) compared to those containing PbNO3(+), indicative of a greater perturbation of the water H-bond network by strontium. The free O-H stretches of surface water molecules in nanodrops containing 10, 15, 20, and 25 water molecules are red-shifted by ∼3-8 cm(-1) for PbNO3(+) compared to those for SrNO3(+), consistent with more charge transfer between water molecules and Pb(ii). These results demonstrate that the different electronic structure of these ions significantly influences how they are solvated.

Gibbs free energy of liquid water derived from infrared measurements

A completely new set of IR bands of liquid water from 4 cm⁻¹ to 4000 cm⁻¹ is studied from spectroscopic and thermodynamic viewpoints over a large thermal range, evidencing the so-called isosbestic points on the different absorption bands.

Infrared spectroscopy with heated attenuated total internal reflectance enabling precise measurement of thermally induced transitions in complex biological polymers

We report an improved tool for acquiring temperature-resolved fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of complex polymer systems undergoing thermal transitions, illustrated by application to several phenomena related to starch gelatinization that have proved difficult to study by other means. Starch suspensions from several botanical origins were gelatinized using a temperature-controlled attenuated total reflectance (ATR) crystal, with IR spectra collected every 0.25 °C. By following the 995/1022 cm(-1) peak ratio, clear transitions occurring between 59 and 70 °C were observed, for which the midpoints could be determined accurately by sigmoidal fits. The magnitude of the change in peak ratio was found to be strongly correlated to the enthalpy of gelatinization as measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, R(2) = 0.988). An important advantage of the technique, compared to DSC, is that the signal-to-noise ratio is not reduced when measuring very broad transitions. This has the potential to allow more precise determination of the gelatinization parameters of high-amylose starches, for which gelatinization may take place over several tens of °C.

Effects of water on the structure and low/high temperature stability of confined proteins

In this study well-characterized model proteins were confined in silica nanoporous matrices. Confinement of the proteins in silica matrices allowed us to explore the role of water hydrogen bonding on the structures of the proteins in a broad range of temperatures (-120 degrees C to 95 degrees C). At low temperatures confinement suppressed freezing of water, which remained in the liquid state. We obtained direct evidence that the changes in the hydrogen bonding of water induced changes in the structure of confined proteins. At high temperatures, a reduction of hydrogen bonding of water facilitated protein-silica interactions and the confined proteins underwent denaturation. However, the incorporation of the osmolyte, trehalose, reduced protein-silica interactions, and altered the hydrogen bonding of water. As a result, the high temperature thermal stability of the confined proteins was greatly improved.

Fourier transform infrared analysis of the thermal modification of human cornea tissue during conductive keratoplasty

This paper presents a study using in vitro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis to determine the thermal damage induced to the human cornea by the conductive keratoplasty (CK) procedure. Human cornea tissues were treated with CK at different radiofrequency power (58-64%) and pulse duration (0.6-1.0 s) settings. The cornea tissues were cryo-sectioned and FT-IR analysis was performed to detect the extent of thermal damage by the second-derivative analysis of the infrared (IR) spectral bands corresponding to protein secondary structure. The protein amide I and II spectral bands measured in vitro mainly arose from collagen. The denatured cornea tissue showed a higher beta-sheet content than the native tissue. The extent of the thermal damage created by the CK treatment depended on power and duration settings, with the latter having a stronger effect. With clinical settings (60%, 0.6 s), the thermal damage area was confined within a radius of 100 microm. CK treatment duration had a more significant effect on the damage zone than the power setting.

Directly relating reduction energies of gaseous Eu(H2O)n(3+), n = 55-140, to aqueous solution: the absolute SHE potential and real proton solvation energy

In solution, half-cell potentials are measured relative to other half-cells resulting in a ladder of thermodynamic values that is anchored to the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), which is assigned an arbitrary value of exactly 0 V. A new method for measuring the absolute SHE potential is introduced in which reduction energies of Eu(H(2)O)(n)(3+), from n = 55 to 140, are extrapolated as a function of the geometric dependence of the cluster reduction energy to infinite size. These measurements make it possible to directly relate absolute reduction energies of these gaseous nanodrops containing Eu(3+) to the absolute reduction enthalpy of this ion in bulk solution. From this value, an absolute SHE potential of +4.11 V and a real proton solvation energy of -269.0 kcal/mol are obtained. The infrared photodissociation spectrum of Eu(H(2)O)(119-124)(3+) indicates that the structure of the surface of the nanodrops is similar to that at the bulk air-water interface and that the hydrogen bonding of interior water molecules is similar to that in aqueous solution. These results suggest that the environment of Eu(3+) in these nanodrops and the surface potential of the nandrops are comparable to those of the condensed phase. This method for obtaining absolute potentials of redox couples has the advantage that no explicit solvation model is required, which eliminates uncertainties associated with these models, making this method potentially more accurate than previous methods.

Vibrational Analysis of Molecular Interactions in Aqueous Glucose Solutions. Temperature and Concentration Effects

A vibrational analysis using FTIR and Raman spectroscopies was carried out on aqueous glucose solutions with a wide range of solute molar fractions and temperatures. The analysis was aimed at revealing structural changes in the local hydrogen-bonding (HB) network of liquid water, correlating these with the conservative properties of biomolecules, and comparing them with those of other sugars. The results of our measurements clearly show that the action of glucose is 2-fold; on one hand, there is a linkage with free hydroxyls of water; on the other, there is a slight lessening of the ordered (tetrahedral) H-bonded assembly of bulk H(2)O. These opposite effects do not balance each other, so the average HB interaction strength decreases on increasing glucose concentration. As a result, there is a reduction in the temperature dependence of solutions structure. In our opinion, this could be related to the low bioprotective action of this carbohydrate.