Detailed dynamical features of the slow hydration water in the vicinity of poly(ethylene oxide) chains

T Kikuchi; T Tominaga; D Murakami; N R de Souza; M Tanaka; H Seto

doi:10.1063/5.0185432

Detailed dynamical features of the slow hydration water in the vicinity of poly(ethylene oxide) chains

J Chem Phys. 2024 Feb 14;160(6):064902. doi: 10.1063/5.0185432.

Authors

T Kikuchi¹, T Tominaga², D Murakami³, N R de Souza⁴, M Tanaka⁵, H Seto¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801, Japan.
² Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), Tokai 319-1106, Japan.
³ Faculty of Humanity-Oriented Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Iizuka 820-8555, Japan.
⁴ Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, New Illawarra Rd., Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia.
⁵ Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.

PMID: 38341782
DOI: 10.1063/5.0185432

Abstract

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is a well-known biocompatible polymer and has widely been used for medical applications. Recently, we have investigated the dynamic behavior of hydration water in the vicinity of PEO chains at physiological temperature and shown the presence of slow water with diffusion coefficient one order of magnitude less than that of bulk water. This could be evidence for the intermediate water that is critical for biocompatibility; however, its detailed dynamical features were not established. In this article, we analyze the quasi-elastic neutron scattering from hydration water through mode distribution analysis and present a microscopic picture of hydration water as well as its relation to cold crystallization.