Glucose nanoconfined by solubilization in water-containing AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate) reverse micelles has been investigated using H NMR. NMR spectra reveal well-defined signals for the glucose hydroxyl groups that suggest slow chemical exchange between them and the water hydroxyl groups. Using the EXSY (ZZ-exchange) method, the chemical exchange rate from water to glucose hydroxyl groups was measured for glucose in reverse micelles as a function of size (water pool diameter of ∼1-5 nm) at 25 °C. The chemical exchange rates observed in the nanoconfined interior are dramatically slower (5-20 times) than those observed for glucose in bulk aqueous solution at the same concentration as the micelle interior. Exchange rate constants are calculated via a mechanism that accounts for these observations, and implications of these results are presented and discussed.

In bulk aqueous environments, the exchange of protons between labile hydroxyl groups typically occurs easily and quickly. Nanoconfinement can dramatically change this normally facile process. Through exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) NMR measurements, we observe that nanoconfinement of glucose and water within AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate) reverse micelles raises the energy barrier to labile hydrogen exchange, which suggests a disruption of the hydrogen bond network. Near room temperature, we measure barriers high enough to slow the process by as much as 2 orders of magnitude. Although exchange rates slow with decreasing temperatures in these nanoconfined environments, the barrier we measure below ∼285 K is 3−5 times lower than the barrier measured at room temperature, indicating a change in mechanism for the process. These findings suggest the possibility of hydrogen tunneling at a surprisingly high-temperature threshold. Furthermore, differences in exchange rates depend on the hydroxyl group position on the glucose pyranose ring and suggest a net orientation of glucose at the reverse micelle interface.

The research presented here reports the surprising observation that adding glucose and other carbohydrate osmolytes to the polar phase of water-containing reverse micelles causes the particles to shrink. This apparent change in reverse micelle size is attributed to two factors: an increase in the surface area per surfactant molecule induced by the presence of carbohydrate and changes in the particle shape eccentricity. The studies reported here not only focus on glucose but also explore other carbohydrate osmolytes, specifically ethylene glycol, glycerol, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, myo-inositol, and trehalose, in the nanoconfined environments of reverse micelles. Through two-dimensional proton nuclear Overhauser enhancement nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the osmolytes were determined to reside solvated in the aqueous interior of the reverse micelles. This paper reports the loading limit of carbohydrates into AOT [sodium bis­(2-ethylhexyl)­sulfosuccinate] reverse micelles, demonstrates the location of the carbohydrates in the reverse micelles, and shows an unexpected effect where the carbohydrates add to the reverse micelle volume without causing an apparent increase in the reverse micelle diameter.