BARC/PUB/2023/0983

 
 

Origin of Strong Hydrogen Bonding and Preferred Orientation of Water at Uncharged Polyethylene Glycol Polymer/Water Interface  

 
     
 
Author(s)

Patra, A.; Bandyopadhyay, A.; Roy, S.; Mondal, J. A.
(RPCD)

Source

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2023. Vol. 14: pp. 11359-11366

ABSTRACT

Polyethylene glycol (PEG), a water-soluble non-ionic polymer, finds diverse applications from Li-ion batteries to drug delivery. The effectiveness of PEG in these contexts hinges on water’s behavior at PEG/water interfaces. Employing heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation and Raman spectroscopy along with a novel analytical approach, termed difference spectroscopy with simultaneous curve-fitting analysis, we observed that water exhibits both “hydrogen-up” and “hydrogen-down” orientations at PEG(≥400u)/water interfaces. As the molar mass of PEG increases, the contribution of the strongly hydrogen-bonded and H-up-oriented water rises. We propose that the PEG-affected interfacial water originates from the asymmetrical hydration of the surface-adsorbed PEG, as evidenced by the resemblance between the water spectra in the hydration shell of PEG and those at the PEG/water interface. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying PEG’s catalytic role in water splitting at membrane interfaces.

 
 
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