Interactions in saccharide/cation/water systems: Insights from density functional theory.

Interactions between saccharides and ions in aqueous solutions are of great importance in many fields (chemistry, physico-chemistry, biology, food industries). Thus, this work proposes to develop a methodology dealing with the characterization and the understanding of interactions between saccharides and cations in presence of water molecules, by a quantum mechanics approach. In the first part, the saccharide hydration properties (xylose, glucose, sucrose) in pure water are determined. Results show that the saccharide coordination numbers, as well as the saccharides hydration enthalpy, increase with the saccharide hydrophilic group number. In the second part, the influence of cations on saccharides hydration properties, and inversely, is evaluated. In saccharide/cation/water systems, the decrease in hydration enthalpy of cations and saccharides shows that both species are dehydrated and that saccharide dehydration depends on the nature of the cation. The dehydration sequence of saccharides was explained from the study of saccharide/cation interactions.

Role of the triple solute/ion/water interactions on the saccharide hydration: A volumetric approach.

The aim of this study is to further the understanding of the mechanisms that govern the hydration behavior of neutral solutes, with respect to the ions' properties that are present in a solution. For that, a systematic volumetric study of saccharides (xylose, glucose and sucrose), in the presence of various electrolytes (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, Na2SO4, K2SO4, CaCl2, MgCl2, MgSO4) has been carried out with density measurements at 298.15 K. From this data, the standard transfer molar volume of the saccharide ΔVϕ,S0, which characterizes the hydration state of the solute, has been determined. Positive and increasing values of ΔVϕ,S0 with increasing electrolyte concentrations were obtained. This indicated the dehydration of the saccharide in the presence of the electrolyte, due to the predominance of saccharide/cation interactions. Concerning the influence of the cation, it was shown that saccharides are more dehydrated in the presence of divalent cations than in the presence of monovalent ones. This is because the interactions are stronger between saccharides and divalent cations, in comparison to those with monovalent cations. For a specific cation valence and molality, regardless of the anion, saccharide dehydration increases according to the following sequences: Li+< Na+< K+ and Mg2+< Ca2+. These saccharide dehydration sequences have been explained by the Gibbs free energy of hydration of the cations, reflecting the cation/water interactions. For a specific cation valence, it was concluded that decreasing cation/water interactions induce the increase of saccharide dehydration. Concerning the influence of the anion, it was also observed that saccharides are more dehydrated in the presence of divalent anions than in the presence of monovalent ones. It was stated that saccharide/cation interactions are modulated by the nature of the anion. The anion impact was again attributed to its capacity to interact with water molecules. It was pointed out that anions with increasing values of Gibbs free energy of hydration cause an increase in saccharide/cation interactions or a decrease in saccharide/anion interactions. Therefore, saccharide dehydration increases.