Complex dynamics of partially freezable confined water revealed by combined experimental and computational studies

We investigate water dynamics in mesoporous silica across partial crystallization by combining broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS). Exploiting the fact that not only BDS but also NMR field-cycling relaxometry and stimulated-echo experiments provide access to dynamical susceptibilities in broad frequency and temperature ranges, we study both the fully liquid state above the melting point Tm and the dynamics of coexisting water and ice phases below this temperature. It is found that partial crystallization leads to a change in the temperature dependence of rotational correlation times τ, which occurs in addition to previously reported dynamical crossovers of confined water and depends on the pore diameter. Furthermore, we observe that dynamical susceptibilities of water are strongly asymmetric in the fully liquid state, whereas they are much broader and nearly symmetric in the partially frozen state. Finally, water in the nonfreezable interfacial layer below Tm does not exhibit a much debated dynamical crossover at ∼220 K. We argue that its dynamics is governed by a static energy landscape, which results from the interaction with the bordering silica and ice surfaces and features a Gaussian-like barrier distribution. Consistently, our MDS analysis of the motional mechanism reveals a hopping motion of water in thin interfacial layers. The rotational correlation times of the confined ice phases follow Arrhenius laws. While the values of τ depend on the pore diameter, freezable water in various types of confinements and mixtures shows similar activation energies of Ea ≈ 0.43 eV.

Structures and Dynamics of Complex Guest Molecules in Confinement, Revealed by Solid-State NMR, Molecular Dynamics, and Calorimetry

This review gives an overview of current trends in the investigation of confined molecules such as water, small and higher alcohols, carbonic acids, ethylene glycol, and non-ionic surfactants, such as polyethylene glycol or Triton-X, as guest molecules in neat and functionalized mesoporous silica materials employing solid-state NMR spectroscopy, supported by calorimetry and molecular dynamics simulations. The combination of steric interactions, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions results in a fascinating phase behavior in the confinement. Combining solid-state NMR and relaxometry, DNP hyperpolarization, molecular dynamics simulations, and general physicochemical techniques, it is possible to monitor these confined molecules and gain deep insights into this phase behavior and the underlying molecular arrangements. In many cases, the competition between hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between polar and non-polar moieties of the guests and the host leads to the formation of ordered structures, despite the cramped surroundings inside the pores.

Study of structure of nonaqueous reverse micelles with o-nitroaniline and methyl orange as molecular probes: comparison with an aqueous reverse micelles

Instead of water reversed micelles can also be formed with polar organic solvents possessed with high dielectric constant and very low solubility in oil phase. Nonaqueous reverse micelles or microemulsions represent an interesting microreactors for various reactions, especially for reactions, where reagents can react with water. Study of localization places of molecular probes in organic polar pockets of reverse micelles is topical. The solvatochromic behavior of optical probes ortho-nitroaniline (o-NA) and methyl orange (MO) was studied in nonaqueous reverse micelles on the basis of surfactants sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) and polyoxyethylene (4) lauryl ether (C12E4) and polar organic solvents (acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, glacial acetic acid, etc.) insoluble in oil phase hexane. The strength of binding of o-NA and MO to AOT and C12E4 reversed micelles was assesssed via binding constant (K b ) and association degree (α) respectively. Donor, acceptor, or dipole-dipole interactions ability of the solvent to the head groups of surfactant was taken into account in order to explain results obtained with UV–visible spectroscopic method. The binding constants of o-NA with reverse AOT micelles in the presence of various solvents in the pockets of reversed micelles increase in the following row water < glacial acetic acid < acetonitrile < dimethylformamide < dimethyl sulfoxide, but this sequence is reversed when o-NA binds to C12E4 reverse micelles. The high value of the proton donor or acidity parameter in the water molecule (x d  = 0.37) determines the weak binding of o-NA to the head AOT groups (K b  = 20.8) in case of aqueous reverse micelles. The high value of the dipole parameter in the dimethylformamide molecule (x n  = 0.40) promotes its strong interaction with nonionic polyoxyethylene groups of C12E4, which results in low value of binding constant (K b  = 26.5) in case of optical probe o-NA and low value of association degree (α = 0.60) using MO as absorption probe. The results of this article will contribute to the improvement of the concept of interfacial processes, viz.: (i) some issues of supramolecular chemistry, (ii) revealing the contribution of parameters of donor, acceptor or dipole-dipole interaction in a polar organic solvent at the surfactant/nonpolar organic solvent interface, and (iii) features of the dissolution of optical probes in non-aqueous reverse micelles.

Temperature-Dependent Dynamics at Protein-Solvent Interfaces

We perform differential scanning calorimetry, broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies to ascertain the molecular dynamics in mixtures of ethylene glycol with elastin or lysozyme over broad temperature ranges. To focus on the protein-solvent interface, we use mixtures with about equal numbers of amino acids and solvent molecules. The elastin and lysozyme mixtures show similar glass transition steps, which extend over a broad temperature range of 157-185K. The BDS and NMR studies yield fully consistent results for the fastest process P1, which is caused by the structural relaxation of ethylene glycol between the protein molecules and follows an Arrhenius law with an activation energy of Ea=0.63eV. It involves quasi-isotropic reorientation and is very similar in the elastin and lysozyme matrices but different from the alpha and beta relaxations of bulk ethylene glycol. Two slower BDS processes P2 and P3 have protein-dependent time scales, but exhibit a similar Arrhenius-like temperature dependence with an activation energy of Ea~0.81eV. However, P2 and P3 do not have a clear NMR signature. In particular, the NMR results for the lysozyme mixture reveal that the protein backbone does not show isotropic alpha-like motion on the P2 and P3 time scales but only restricted beta-like reorientation. The different activation energies of the P1 and P2/P3 processes do not support an intimate coupling of protein and ethylene glycol dynamics. The present results are compared with previous findings for mixtures of proteins with water or glycerol, implying qualitatively different dynamical couplings at various protein-solvent interfaces.

Confinement effects on glass-forming mixtures: Insights from a combined experimental approach to aqueous ethylene glycol solutions in silica pores

We perform nuclear magnetic resonance, broadband dielectric spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry studies to ascertain the dynamical behaviors of aqueous ethylene glycol (EG) solutions in silica pores over broad temperature ranges. Both translational and rotational motions are analyzed, and the pore diameter (2.4–9.2 nm) and the EG concentration (12–57 mol. %) are varied, leading to fully liquid or partially crystalline systems. It is found that the translational diffusion coefficient strongly decreases when the diameter is reduced, resulting in a slowdown of nearly three orders of magnitude in the narrowest pores, while the confinement effects on the rotational correlation times are moderate. For the fully liquid solutions, we attribute bulk-like and slowed down reorientation processes to the central and interfacial pore regions, respectively. This coexistence is found in all the studied pores, and, hence, the range of the wall effects on the solution dynamics does not exceed ∼1 nm. Compared to the situation in the bulk, the concentration dependence is reduced in confinements, implying that the specific interactions of the molecular species with the silica walls lead to preferential adsorption. On the other hand, bulk-like structural relaxation is not observed in the partially frozen samples, where the liquid is sandwiched between the silica walls and the ice crystallites. Under such circumstances, there is another relaxation process with a weaker temperature dependence, which is observed in various kinds of partially frozen aqueous systems and denoted as the x process.

Solid-state NMR studies of non-ionic surfactants confined in mesoporous silica

This review gives an overview of current trends in the investigation of confined molecules such as higher alcohols, ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol as guest molecules in neat and functionalized mesoporous silica materials. All these molecules have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts. They are characteristic role-models for the investigation of confined surfactants. Their properties are studied by a combination of solid-state NMR and relaxometry with other physicochemical techniques and molecular dynamics techniques. It is shown that this combination delivers unique insights into the structure, arrangement, dynamical properties and the guest-host interactions inside the confinement.

2H NMR study on temperature-dependent water dynamics in amino-acid functionalized silica nanopores

We prepare various amino-acid functionalized silica pores with diameters of ∼6 nm and study the temperature-dependent reorientation dynamics of water in these confinements. Specifically, we link basic Lys, neutral Ala, and acidic Glu to the inner surfaces and combine ²H nuclear magnetic resonance spin-lattice relaxation and line shape analyses to disentangle the rotational motions of the surfaces groups and the crystalline and liquid water fractions coexisting below partial freezing. Unlike the crystalline phase, the liquid phase shows reorientation dynamics, which strongly depends on the chemistry of the inner surfaces. The water reorientation is slowest for the Lys functionalization, followed by Ala and Glu and, finally, the native silica pores. In total, the rotational correlation times of water at the different surfaces vary by about two orders of magnitude, where this span is largely independent of the temperature in the range ∼200-250 K.

NMR studies on the influence of silica confinements on local and diffusive dynamics in LiCl aqueous solutions approaching their glass transitions

We use ¹H, ²H, and ⁷Li NMR to investigate the molecular dynamics of glass-forming LiCl-7H₂O and LiCl-7D₂O solutions confined to MCM-41 or SBA-15 silica pores with diameters in the range of d = 2.8 nm-5.4 nm. Specifically, it is exploited that NMR experiments in homogeneous and gradient magnetic fields provide access to local and diffusive motions, respectively, and that the isotope selectivity of the method allows us to characterize the dynamics of the water molecules and the lithium ions separately. We find that the silica confinements cause a slowdown of the dynamics on all length scales, which is stronger at lower temperatures and in narrower pores and is more prominent for the lithium ions than the water molecules. However, we do not observe a temperature-dependent decoupling of short-range and long-range dynamics inside the pores. ⁷Li NMR correlation functions show bimodal decays when the pores are sufficiently wide (d > 3 nm) so that bulk-like ion dynamics in the pore centers can be distinguished from significantly retarded ion dynamics at the pore walls, possibly in a Stern layer. However, we do not find evidence for truly immobile fractions of water molecules or lithium ions and, hence, for the existence of a static Stern layer in any of the studied silica pores.

Thermodynamics and acoustic effects of quercetin on micellization and interaction behaviour of CTAB in different hydroethanol solvent systems

Flavonoids amongst the class of secondary metabolites possess numerous health benefits, are known for its use in pharmaceutical industry. Quercetin, a flavonoid has more prominent medical advantages however its utilization is constrained because of various instability and insolubility issues and therefore, taken into consideration for studying its physico-chemical properties. In view of that, the thermodynamic and thermoacoustic properties of quercetin were examined in presence of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at different hydroethanolic concentrations and temperatures. The conductivity studies were used to calculate change in enthalpy (∆H o m ), change in entropy (∆S o m ) and change in Gibbs free Energy (∆G o m ) of micellization. The interactions between quercetin and CTAB were found to be endothermic, entropically controlled and spontaneous. Further, ultrasonic sound velocity and density studies were carried out and utilized for the calculation of thermoacoustic parameters i.e. apparent molar volume and apparent molar compressibility. Thermoacoustic properties revealed that at higher surfactant concentration, hydrophobic interactions are dominant. The results suggested that the flavonoid-surfactant interactions in hydroethanolic solutions is more favourable as compared with aqueous solution. Overall, the data is favourable for the framework to be used for detailing advancement, drug development, drug industry, pharmaceutical industry, medical administration and formulation development studies.

Confinement Effects on Glass-Forming Aqueous Dimethyl Sulfoxide Solutions

Combining broadband dielectric spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance studies, we analyze the reorientation dynamics and the translational diffusion associated with the glassy slowdown of the eutectic aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide solution in nano-sized confinements, explicitly, in silica pores with different diameters and in ficoll and lysozyme matrices at different concentrations. We observe that both rotational and diffusive dynamics are slower and more heterogeneous in the confinements than in the bulk but the degree of these effects depends on the properties of the confinement and differs for the components of the solution. For the hard and the soft matrices, the slowdown and the heterogeneity become more prominent when the size of the confinement is reduced. In addition, the dynamics are more retarded for dimethyl sulfoxide than for water, implying specific guest-host interactions. Moreover, we find that the temperature dependence of the reorientation dynamics and of the translational diffusion differs in severe confinements, indicating a breakdown of the Stokes–Einstein–Debye relation. It is discussed to what extent these confinement effects can be rationalized in the framework of core-shell models, which assume bulk-like and slowed-down motions in central and interfacial confinement regions, respectively.

Small Molecules, Non-Covalent Interactions, and Confinement

This review gives an overview of current trends in the investigation of small guest molecules, confined in neat and functionalized mesoporous silica materials by a combination of solid-state NMR and relaxometry with other physico-chemical techniques. The reported guest molecules are water, small alcohols, and carbonic acids, small aromatic and heteroaromatic molecules, ionic liquids, and surfactants. They are taken as characteristic role-models, which are representatives for the typical classes of organic molecules. It is shown that this combination delivers unique insights into the structure, arrangement, dynamics, guest-host interactions, and the binding sites in these confined systems, and is probably the most powerful analytical technique to probe these systems.

Modulations in Self-Organization Properties of Surfactant in Aqueous Ionic Liquid Media

Ionic liquids (ILs) give a wide scope of favorable applications due to their much-upgraded properties. The strong electrostatic interactions between the cationic moiety of IL and the anionic surfactant play a very important role in the assembly of the large aggregates. We have investigated the aggregation behavior of anionic surfactants and IL in aqueous solution. Different temperatures and concentrations of IL have been taken to study the effect on critical micelles concentrations of surfactant. The critical micelle concentration values obtained by conductivity measurements are further confirmed by the fluorescence studies. The method is based on the fit of the experimental obtained raw data of fluorescence spectroscopy to a simple nonlinear category of a Boltzmann type sigmoidal function. Thermodynamical parameters of micellization Δ H m 0 $\Delta H_{m}^{0}$ , Δ G m 0 $\Delta G_{m}^{0}$ and Δ S m 0 $\Delta S_{m}^{0}$ have been considered to study the effect of aqueous IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide concentration and temperature on aggregation behavior of surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate. FT-IR spectra have been studies to verify the structural changes arise in the aqueous IL and surfactant system.