Issue 41, 2016

Combined influence of ectoine and salt: spectroscopic and numerical evidence for compensating effects on aqueous solutions

Abstract

Ectoine is an important osmolyte, which allows microorganisms to survive in extreme environmental salinity. The hygroscopic effects of ectoine in pure water can be explained by a strong water binding behavior whereas a study on the effects of ectoine in salty solution is yet missing. We provide Raman spectroscopic evidence that the influence of ectoine and NaCl are opposing and completely independent of each other. The effect can be explained by the formation of strongly hydrogen-bonded water molecules around ectoine which compensate the influence of the salt on the water dynamics. The mechanism is corroborated by first principles calculations and broadens our understanding of zwitterionic osmolytes in aqueous solution. Our findings allow us to provide a possible explanation for the relatively high osmolyte concentrations in halotolerant bacteria.

Graphical abstract: Combined influence of ectoine and salt: spectroscopic and numerical evidence for compensating effects on aqueous solutions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
04 Aug 2016
Accepted
22 Sep 2016
First published
22 Sep 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016,18, 28398-28402

Combined influence of ectoine and salt: spectroscopic and numerical evidence for compensating effects on aqueous solutions

M. B. Hahn, F. Uhlig, T. Solomun, J. Smiatek and H. Sturm, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 28398 DOI: 10.1039/C6CP05417J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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