Three distinct water structures at a zwitterionic lipid/water interface revealed by heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation

Lipid/water interfaces and associated interfacial water are vital for various biochemical reactions, but the molecular-level understanding of their property is very limited. We investigated the water structure at a zwitterionic lipid, phosphatidylcholine, monolayer/water interface using heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy. Isotopically diluted water was utilized in the experiments to minimize the effect of intra/intermolecular couplings. It was found that the OH stretch band in the Imχ((2)) spectrum of the phosphatidylcholine/water interface exhibits a characteristic double-peaked feature. To interpret this peculiar spectrum of the zwitterionic lipid/water interface, Imχ((2)) spectra of a zwitterionic surfactant/water interface and mixed lipid/water interfaces were measured. The Imχ((2)) spectrum of the zwitterionic surfactant/water interface clearly shows both positive and negative bands in the OH stretch region, revealing that multiple water structures exist at the interface. At the mixed lipid/water interfaces, while gradually varying the fraction of the anionic and cationic lipids, we observed a drastic change in the Imχ((2)) spectra in which spectral features similar to those of the anionic, zwitterionic, and cationic lipid/water interfaces appeared successively. These observations demonstrate that, when the positive and negative charges coexist at the interface, the H-down-oriented water structure and H-up-oriented water structure appear in the vicinity of the respective charged sites. In addition, it was found that a positive Imχ((2)) appears around 3600 cm(-1) for all the monolayer interfaces examined, indicating weakly interacting water species existing in the hydrophobic region of the monolayer at the interface. On the basis of these results, we concluded that the characteristic Imχ((2)) spectrum of the zwitterionic lipid/water interface arises from three different types of water existing at the interface: (1) the water associated with the negatively charged phosphate, which is strongly H-bonded and has a net H-up orientation, (2) the water around the positively charged choline, which forms weaker H-bonds and has a net H-down orientation, and (3) the water weakly interacting with the hydrophobic region of the lipid, which has a net H-up orientation.     

Femtosecond Hydrogen Bond Dynamics of Bulk‐like and Bound Water at Positively and Negatively Charged Lipid Interfaces Revealed by 2D HD‐VSFG Spectroscopy

Interfacial water in the vicinity of lipids plays an important role in many biological processes, such as drug delivery, ion transportation, and lipid fusion. Hence, molecular‐level elucidation of the properties of water at lipid interfaces is of the utmost importance. We report the two‐dimensional heterodyne‐detected vibrational sum frequency generation (2D HD‐VSFG) study of the OH stretch of HOD at charged lipid interfaces, which shows that the hydrogen bond dynamics of interfacial water differ drastically, depending on the lipids. The data indicate that the spectral diffusion of the OH stretch at a positively charged lipid interface is dominated by the ultrafast (<～100 fs) component, followed by the minor sub‐picosecond slow dynamics, while the dynamics at a negatively charged lipid interface exhibit sub‐picosecond dynamics almost exclusively, implying that fast hydrogen bond fluctuation is prohibited. These results reveal that the ultrafast hydrogen bond dynamics at the positively charged lipid–water interface are attributable to the bulk‐like property of interfacial water, whereas the slow dynamics at the negatively charged lipid interface are due to bound water, which is hydrogen‐bonded to the hydrophilic head group.     

Interfacial structures of acidic and basic aqueous solutions

Phase-sensitive sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy was used to study water/vapor interfaces of HCl, HI, and NaOH solutions. The measured imaginary part of the surface spectral responses provided direct characterization of OH stretch vibrations and information about net polar orientations of water species contributing to different regions of the spectrum. We found clear evidence that hydronium ions prefer to emerge at interfaces. Their OH stretches contribute to the "ice-like" band in the spectrum. Their charges create a positive surface field that tends to reorient water molecules more loosely bonded to the topmost water layer with oxygen toward the interface, and thus enhances significantly the "liquid-like" band in the spectrum. Iodine ions in solution also like to appear at the interface and alter the positive surface field by forming a narrow double-charge layer with hydronium ions. In NaOH solution, the observed weak change of the "liquid-like" band and disappearance of the "ice-like" band in the spectrum indicates that OH(-) ions must also have excess at the interface. How they are incorporated in the interfacial water structure is, however, not clear.     

Protein adsorption at the electrified air-water interface: implications on foam stability

The surface chemistry of ions, water molecules, and proteins as well as their ability to form stable networks in foams can influence and control macroscopic properties such as taste and texture of dairy products considerably. Despite the significant relevance of protein adsorption at liquid interfaces, a molecular level understanding on the arrangement of proteins at interfaces and their interactions has been elusive. Therefore, we have addressed the adsorption of the model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) at the air-water interface with vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) and ellipsometry. SFG provides specific information on the composition and average orientation of molecules at interfaces, while complementary information on the thickness of the adsorbed layer can be obtained with ellipsometry. Adsorption of charged BSA proteins at the water surface leads to an electrified interface, pH dependent charging, and electric field-induced polar ordering of interfacial H(2)O and BSA. Varying the bulk pH of protein solutions changes the intensities of the protein related vibrational bands substantially, while dramatic changes in vibrational bands of interfacial H(2)O are simultaneously observed. These observations have allowed us to determine the isoelectric point of BSA directly at the electrolyte-air interface for the first time. BSA covered air-water interfaces with a pH near the isoelectric point form an amorphous network of possibly agglomerated BSA proteins. Finally, we provide a direct correlation of the molecular structure of BSA interfaces with foam stability and new information on the link between microscopic properties of BSA at water surfaces and macroscopic properties such as the stability of protein foams.     

Structures and charging of alpha-alumina (0001)/water interfaces studied by sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy

Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy in the OH stretch region was employed to study structures of water/alpha-Al2O3 (0001) interfaces at different pH values. Observed spectra indicate that protonation and deprotonation of the alumina surface dominate at low and high pH, respectively, with the interface positively and negatively charged accordingly. The point of zero charge (pzc) appears at pH approximately = 6.3, which is close to the values obtained from streaming potential and second-harmonic generation studies. It is significantly lower than the pzc of alumina powder. The result can be understood from the pK values of protonation and deprotonation at the water/alpha-Al2O3 (0001) interface. The pzc of amorphous alumina was found to be similar to that of powder alumina.     

Effect of omega-hydrogenation on the adsorption of fluorononanols at the hexane/water interface: Temperature effect on the adsorption of fluorononanols

The interfacial tensions (gamma) of the hexane solutions of 1H,1H-perfluorononanol (FDFC9OH) and its omega-hydrogenated analogue 1H,1H,9H-perfluorononanol (HDFC9OH) against water were measured as a function of temperature and concentration under atmospheric pressure in order to know the effect of omega-dipoles on the adsorption behavior of fluorononanols. The interfacial pressure (pi) versus mean area per adsorbed molecule (A) curves consist of two discontinuous changes among three different states: the gaseous, expanded, and condensed states. The A values at given pi in the gaseous and expanded states are larger for HDFC9OH than for FDFC9OH. The changes in partial molar entropy (s1(H) - s1(O)) and energy (u1(H) - u1(O)) of adsorption were evaluated. Their values are negative, and therefore, the alcohols have a smaller entropy and energy at the interface than in the bulk solution. Furthermore, the u1(H) - u1(O) value is more negative for HDFC9OH than for FDFC9OH in the expanded state and also in the condensed film just above the expanded-condensed phase transition point. This seems to be due to the following: (1) HDFC9OH may tilt from interface normal for omega-dipoles to interact effectively with water molecules in the interfacial region and to reduce their own repulsive interaction between neighbors arranging parallel in the adsorbed film. This leads to a lower value for HDFC9OH than for FDFC9OH. (2) The contact of omega-dipoles with hexane molecules in the bulk solution is energetically unfavorable, and thus, the u1(O) value of HDFC9OH is expected to be larger than that of FDFC9OH.     

Spectroscopic studies of solvated hydrogen and hydroxide ions at aqueous surfaces

Measuring the molecular properties of the surface of acidic and basic aqueous solutions is essential to understanding a wide range of important biological, chemical, and environmental processes on our planet. In the present studies, vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) is employed in combination with isotopic dilution experiments at the vapor/water interface to elucidate the interfacial water structure as the pH is varied with HCl and NaOH. In acidic solutions, solvated proton species are seen throughout the interfacial region, and they alter the hydrogen bonding between water molecules in ways that reflect their depth in the interfacial region. At the higher frequencies of the OH stretch region, there is spectral evidence for solvated proton species residing in the topmost layers of the interfacial region. As reported in previous VSF studies, more strongly bound solvated proton species are observed at lower OH stretching frequencies. The solvated proton species that have stronger hydrogen bonding are similar in structure to those found in bulk acid solutions and likely reside somewhat deeper in the interfacial region. There is also evidence of OH stretching from solvated protons and relatively strong hydrogen bonding in the solvation sphere that is similar to other solvated ions. In contrast, water molecules solvating OH(-) ions show relatively weak hydrogen bonding and significantly less interfacial order. VSF spectra are acquired under multiple polarizations to provide crucial information for the interpretation of the spectra and for the determination of interfacial structure.     

Ultrafast vibrational dynamics of water at a charged interface revealed by two-dimensional heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation

Two-dimensional heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation (2D HD-VSFG) spectroscopy is performed for an aqueous interface for the first time. The 2D HD-VSFG spectra in the OH stretch region are obtained from a positively charged surfactant∕water interface with isotopically diluted water (HOD∕D(2)O) to reveal the femtosecond vibrational dynamics of water at the charged interface. The 2D HD-VSFG spectrum is diagonally elongated immediately after photoexcitation, clearly demonstrating inhomogeneity in the interfacial water. This elongation almost disappears at 300 fs owing to the spectral diffusion. Interestingly, the 2D HD-VSFG spectrum at the 0 fs shows an oppositely asymmetric shape to the corresponding 2D IR spectrum in bulk water: The bandwidth of the bleach signal gets narrower when the pump wavenumber becomes higher. This suggests that the dynamics and mechanism of the hydrogen bond rearrangement at the charged interface are significantly different from those in bulk water.     

Role of interfacial water on protein adsorption at cross-linked polyethylene oxide interfaces

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to study the structure of water at cross-linked PEO film interfaces in the presence of human serum albumin (HSA) protein. Although PEO is charge neutral, the PEO film/water interface exhibited an SFG signal of water similar to that of a highly charged water/silica interface, signifying the presence of ordered water. Ordered water molecules were observed not only at the water/PEO interface, but also within the PEO film. It indicates that the PEO and water form an ordered hydrogen-bonded network extending from the bulk PEO film into liquid water, which can provide an energy barrier for protein adsorption. Upon exposure to the protein solution, the SFG spectra of water at the water/PEO interface remained nearly unperturbed. For comparison, the SFG spectra of water/silica and water/polystyrene interfaces were also studied with and without HSA in the solution. The SFG spectra of the interfacial water were correlated with the amount of protein adsorbed on the surfaces using fluorescence microscopy, which showed that the amount of protein adsorbed on the PEO film was about 10 times less than that on a polystyrene film and 3 times less than that on silica.     

Hidden Isolated OH at the Charged Hydrophobic Interface Revealed by Two-Dimensional Heterodyne-Detected VSFG Spectroscopy

Water around hydrophobic groups mediates hydrophobic interactions that play key roles in many chemical and biological processes. Thus, the molecular-level elucidation of the properties of water in the vicinity of hydrophobic groups is important. We report on the structure and dynamics of water at two oppositely charged hydrophobic ion/water interfaces, that is, the tetraphenylborate-ion (TPB⁻)/water and tetraphenylarsonium-ion (TPA⁺)/water interfaces, which are clarified by two-dimensional heterodyne-detected vibrational sum-frequency generation (2D HD-VSFG) spectroscopy. The obtained 2D HD-VSFG spectra of the anionic TPB⁻ interface reveal the existence of distinct π-hydrogen bonded OH groups in addition to the usual hydrogen-bonded OH groups, which are hidden in the steady-state spectrum. In contrast, 2D HD-VSFG spectra of the cationic TPA⁺ interface only show the presence of usual hydrogen-bonded OH groups. The present study demonstrates that the sign of the interfacial charge governs the structure and dynamics of water molecules that face the hydrophobic region.     

Specific ion effects on interfacial water structure near macromolecules

We investigated specific ion effects on interfacial water structure next to macromolecules with vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS). Poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide) was adsorbed at the air/water interface for this purpose. It was found that the presence of salt in the subphase could induce the reorganization of water adjacent to the macromolecule and that the changes depended greatly on the specific identity and concentration of the salt employed. Ranked by their propensity to orient interfacial water molecules, sodium salts could be placed in the following order: NaSCN > NaClO4 > NaI > NaNO3 approximately NaBr > NaCl > pure water approximately NaF approximately Na2SO4. This ordering is a Hofmeister series. On the other hand, varying the identity of the cation exhibited virtually no effect. We also showed that the oscillator strength in the OH stretch region was linearly related to changes in the surface potential caused by anion adsorption. This fact allowed binding isotherms to be abstracted from the VSFS data. Such results offer direct evidence that interfacial water structure can be predominantly the consequence of macromolecule-ion interactions.     

Hidden Isolated OH at the Charged Hydrophobic Interface Revealed by Two‐Dimensional Heterodyne‐Detected VSFG Spectroscopy

Water around hydrophobic groups mediates hydrophobic interactions that play key roles in many chemical and biological processes. Thus, the molecular‐level elucidation of the properties of water in the vicinity of hydrophobic groups is important. We report on the structure and dynamics of water at two oppositely charged hydrophobic ion/water interfaces, that is, the tetraphenylborate‐ion (TPB^?)/water and tetraphenylarsonium‐ion (TPA⁺)/water interfaces, which are clarified by two‐dimensional heterodyne‐detected vibrational sum‐frequency generation (2D HD‐VSFG) spectroscopy. The obtained 2D HD‐VSFG spectra of the anionic TPB^? interface reveal the existence of distinct π‐hydrogen bonded OH groups in addition to the usual hydrogen‐bonded OH groups, which are hidden in the steady‐state spectrum. In contrast, 2D HD‐VSFG spectra of the cationic TPA⁺ interface only show the presence of usual hydrogen‐bonded OH groups. The present study demonstrates that the sign of the interfacial charge governs the structure and dynamics of water molecules that face the hydrophobic region.     

Interfacial hydrolysis in the mu-oxo dimer formation of tetraphenylporphinatomanganese(III) in the toluene/water system.

The interfacial adsorption and dimerization behavior of tetraphenylporphinatomanganese(III)chroride (Mn(TPP)Cl) in the toluene/water two phase system was studied. The absorption spectra of the porphyrin complex in the organic phase were blue shifted with increasing of pH in the aqueous phase, suggesting the formation of the mu-oxo dimer. The interfacial species in these systems were examined by means of UV/vis external reflection (ER) spectrophotometry. ER spectral maxima were also blue shifted with the increase in pH, whereas the shape of the ER spectra in the basic conditions was different from that of the mu-oxo dimer. The observed results suggest that the hydroxide-coordinated monomer, Mn(TPP)OH, was generated from the Mn(TPP)(H2O)+ at the interface under the basic conditions and that was further converted to the mu-oxo dimer, which was soluble into the toluene phase.     

Isotope effects in liquid water by infrared spectroscopy. V. A sea of OH4 of C2v symmetry

The two water gas OH stretch vibrations that absorb in the infrared (IR) near 3700 cm(-1) are redshifted to near 3300 cm(-1) upon liquefaction. The bathochromic shift is due to the formation of four H-bonds: two are from the labile hydrogen atoms to neighbors and two are received from neighbors by the oxygen free electron pairs. Therefore, the water oxygen atom is surrounded by four hydrogen atoms, two of these make covalent bonds that make H-bonds and two are oxygen H-bonded. However, these permute at rate in the ps range. When the water molecules are isolated in acetonitrile (MeCN) or acetone (Me(2)CO), only the labile hydrogen atoms make H-bonds with the solvent. The bathochromic shift of the OH stretch bands is then almost 130 cm(-1) with, however, the asymmetric (ν(3)) and symmetric (ν(1)) stretch bands maintained. When more water is added to the solutions, the oxygen lone doublets make H-bonds with the available labile hydrogen atoms from neighboring water molecules. With one bond accepted, the bathochromic shift is further displaced by almost 170 cm(-1). When the second oxygen doublet is filled, another bathochromic shift by almost 100 cm(-1) is observed. The total bathochromic shift is near 400 cm(-1) with a full width at half height of near 400 cm(1). This is the case of pure liquid water. Notwithstanding the shift and the band broadness, the ν(3) and ν(1) band individualities are maintained with, however, added satellite companions that come from the far IR (FIR) absorption. These added to the fundamental bands are responsible for the band broadness and almost featureless shape of the massive OH stretch absorption of liquid water. Comparison of light and heavy water mixture spectra indicates that the OH and OD stretch regions show five different configurations: OH(4); OH(3)D; OH(2)D(2); OHD(3); and OD(4) [J. Chem. Phys. 116, 4626 (2002)]. The comparison of the OH bands of OH(4) with that of OHD(3) indicates that the main component in OHD(3) is ν(OH), whereas in OH(4) two main components are present: ν(3) and ν(1). Similar results are obtained for the OD bands of OD(4) and ODH(3). These results indicate that the C(2) (v) symmetry of H(2)O and D(2)O is preserved in the liquid and aqueous solutions whereas C(s) is that of HDO.     

Sum-frequency spectroscopy analysis of two-component langmuir monolayers and the associated interfacial water structure

Sum-frequency spectroscopy (SFS) in the CH and OH stretching regions was employed to obtain structural information about Langmuir monolayers on the H(2)O subphase of the model lipid dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DOMA) and of the neutral surfactant methyl stearate (SME) and their mixtures and about the interfacial water structure underneath the films. These results were compared with the sum-frequency spectra of the interface between Langmuir monolayers of stearic acid and stearic acid-DOMA monolayers and water to prove that the uncompensated headgroup charge of DOMA at the interface is the reason for structuring of interfacial water close to the studied monomolecular films. Sum-frequency spectra on D(2)O subphase were also studied to account for the interference between the CH and OH spectral signatures because of the coherent nature of the SFS signals. Interfacial water structure proved to be a determining factor in the behavior of the mixed lipid monolayers. A mixing induced amplification in the surface potential DeltaV observed in our previous work was explained with total increase of the dipole moment for the mixed films, bigger than the arithmetic average for DOMA and SME monolayers alone. The increase is due to the better packing of the molecules in the mixed films and to the decrease in the interfacial water dipole moment arising from a more disordered water structure underneath the mixed monolayers.     

Adsorption Kinetics of Some Polyethylene Glycol Octylphenyl Ethers Studied by the Fast Formed Drop Technique

The adsorption kinetics of Triton X-100 and Triton X-405 at solution/air and solution/hexane interfaces is studied by the recently developed fast formed drop technique. The dynamic interfacial tension of Triton X-100 and Triton X-405 solutions against hexane has been measured without preequilibration of the water and oil phases. It is found that the dynamic interfacial tension of Triton X-100 solutions passes through a minimum. This strange behavior is attributed to partial solubility of the surfactant in hexane. Such minima of the dynamic interfacial tension of Triton X-405 solutions have not been observed, which correlates well with the solubilities of both surfactants in hexane reported in the literature. The dynamic surface tension of solutions of both surfactants and the dynamic interfacial tension of Triton X-405 solutions are interpreted by the Ward and Tordai model for diffusion controlled adsorption. It is shown that proper interpretation of the experimental data depends on the type of isotherm used. More consistent results are obtained when the Temkin isotherm is used instead of the Langmuir isotherm. The results obtained with Triton X-100 at the solution/air interface confirm that the adsorption of this surfactant occurs under diffusion control. The adsorption of Triton X-405 at solution/air and at solution/hexane interfaces seems to occur under diffusion control at short periods of time, but under mixed (diffusion-kinetic) control at long periods of time. A hypothesis is drawn to explain this phenomenon by changes in the shape of the large hydrophilic heads of Triton X-405 molecules. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Adsorption of dioctyldimethylammonium chloride at water/hexane interface

The adsorption behavior of dioctyldimethylammonium chloride at water/ hexane interface has been studied by measuring the interfacial tension as a function of temperature and pressure at various bulk concentrations. By applying the thermodynamics of adsorption at interfaces to the experimental results, the thermodynamic quantity changes associated with adsorption and the interfacial density of dioctyldimethylammonium chloride have been evaluated.The interfacial tension vs temperature and concentration curves have shown the breaks and it has been concluded that the first order phase transition takes place between a gaseous and an expanded state. The entropy and volume changes associated with adsorption have shown the remarkable dependence on temperature and pressure and have been found to decrease with increasing the molality. Also the energy change associated with adsorption has been evaluated and it has been concluded that the adsorption of dioctyldimethylammonium chloride at water/hexane interface is enhanced by negative values of the partial molar energy change. Further, all the thermodynamic quantities have been characterized by the discontinuous change attributable to the phase transition.     

Enrichment of deuterium oxide at hydrophilic interfaces in aqueous solutions

The structure of water at aqueous interfaces is of the utmost importance in biology, chemistry, and geology. We use neutron reflectivity and quartz crystal microbalance to probe an interface between hydrophilic quartz and bulk liquid solutions of H2O/D2O mixtures. We find that near the interface the neutron scattering length density is larger than in the bulk solution and there is an excess adsorbed mass. We interpret this as showing that there is a region adjacent to the quartz that is enriched in D2O and extends 5-10 nm into the solution. This suggests caution when interpreting results where D2O is substituted for H2O in aqueous interfacial chemistry.     

Vibrational Spectra and Adsorption of Trisiloxane Superspreading Surfactant at Air/Water Interface Studied with Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

The C-H stretch vibrational spectra of the trisiloxane superspreading surfactant Silwet L-77((CH3)3Si-O-Si(CH3)(C3H6)(OCH2CH2)7-8OCH3)-O-Si(CH3)3) at the air/water interface are measured with the surface Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy (SFG-VS). The spectra are dominated with the features from the –Si-CH3 groups around 2905 cm-1 (symmetric stretch or SS mode) and 2957 cm-1 (mostly the asymmetric stretch or AS mode), and with the weak but apparent contribution from the -O-CH2- groups around 2880 cm-1 (symmetric stretch or SS mode). Comparison of the polarization dependent SFG spectra below and above the critical aggregate or micelle concentration (CAC) indicates that the molecular orientation of the C¡H related molecular groups remained unchanged at different surface densities of the Silwet L-77 surfactant. The SFG-VS adsorption isotherm suggested that there was no sign of Silwet L-77 bilayer structure formation at the air/water interface. The Gibbs adsorption free energy of the Silwet surfactant to the air/water interface is -42.2±0.8kJ/mol, indicating the unusually strong adsorption ability of the Silwet L-77 superspreading surfactant     

Changes in water structure induced by the guanidinium cation and implications for protein denaturation

The effect of the guanidinium cation on the hydrogen bonding strength of water was analyzed using temperature-excursion Fourier transform infrared spectra of the OH stretching vibration in 5% H 2O/95% D 2O solutions containing a range of different guanidine-HCl and guanidine-HBr concentrations. Our findings indicate that the guanidinium cation causes the water H-bonds in solution to become more linear than those found in bulk water, and that it also inhibits the response of the H-bond network to increased temperature. Quantum chemical calculations also reveal that guanidinium affects both the charge distribution on water molecules directly H-bonded to it as well as the OH stretch frequency of H-bonds in which that water molecule is the donor. The implications of our findings to hydrophobic solvation and protein denaturation are discussed.