Here we investigate the solute-medium interaction and solute-centered dynamics in (RCONH2 + LiX) deep eutectics (DEs) via carrying out time-resolved fluorescence measurements and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations at various temperatures. Alkylamides (RCONH2) considered are acetamide (CH3CONH2), propionamide (CH3CH2CONH2), and butyramide (CH3CH2CH2CONH2); the electrolytes (LiX) are lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), lithium bromide (LiBr), and lithium nitrate (LiNO3). Differential scanning calorimetric measurements reveal glass transition temperatures (T(g)) of these DEs are ~195 K and show a very weak dependence on alkyl chain-length and electrolyte identity. Time-resolved and steady state fluorescence measurements with these DEs have been carried out at six-to-nine different temperatures that are ~100-150 K above their individual T(g)s. Four different solute probes providing a good spread of fluorescence lifetimes have been employed in steady state measurements, revealing strong excitation wavelength dependence of probe fluorescence emission peak frequencies. Extent of this dependence, which shows sensitivity to anion identity, has been found to increase with increase of amide chain-length and decrease of probe lifetime. Time-resolved measurements reveal strong fractional power dependence of average rates for solute solvation and rotation with fraction power being relatively smaller (stronger viscosity decoupling) for DEs containing longer amide and larger (weaker decoupling) for DEs containing perchlorate anion. Representative all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of (CH3CONH2 + LiX) DEs at different temperatures reveal strongly stretched exponential relaxation of wavevector dependent acetamide self dynamic structure factor with time constants dependent both on ion identity and temperature, providing justification for explaining the fluorescence results in terms of temporal heterogeneity and amide clustering in these multi-component melts.

Time-resolved fluorescence Stokes shift and anisotropy measurements using a solvation probe in [0.78CH(3)CONH(2) + 0.22{f LiBr + (1-f) LiNO(3)}] melts reveal a strong decoupling of medium dynamics from viscosity. Interestingly, this decoupling has been found to occur at temperatures ∼50-100 K above the glass transition temperatures of the above melt at various anion concentrations (f(LiBr)). The decoupling is reflected via the following fractional viscosity dependence (η) of the measured average solvation and rotation times (<τ(s)> and <τ(r)>, respectively): <τ(x)> ∝ (η∕T)(p) (x being solvation or rotation), with p covering the range, 0.20 < p < 0.70. Although this is very similar to what is known for deeply supercooled liquids, it is very surprising because of the temperature range at which the above decoupling occurs for these molten mixtures. The kinship to the supercooled liquids is further exhibited via p which is always larger for <τ(r)> than for <τ(s)>, indicating a sort of translation-rotation decoupling. Multiple probes have been used in steady state fluorescence measurements to explore the extent of static heterogeneity. Estimated experimental dynamic Stokes shift for coumarin 153 in these mixtures lies in the range, 1000 < Δν(t)/cm(-1) < 1700, and is in semi-quantitative agreement with predictions from our semi-molecular theory. The participation of the fluctuating density modes at various length-scales to the observed solvation times has also been investigated.

Steady state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic techniques have been used to explore the Stokes' shift dynamics and rotational relaxation of a dipolar solute probe in molten mixtures of acetamide (CH(3)CONH(2)) with sodium and potassium thiocyanates (Na /KSCN) at T approximately 318 K and several other higher temperatures. The dipolar solute probe employed for this study is coumarin 153 (C153). Six different fractions (f) of KSCN of the following ternary mixture composition, 0.75 CH(3)CONH(2) + 0.25[(1 - f)NaSCN + fKSCN], have been considered. The estimated experimental dynamic Stokes' shift for these systems ranges between 1800 and 2200 cm(-1) (+/-250 cm(-1)), which is similar to what has been observed with the same solute probe in several imidazolium cation based room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) and in pure amide solvents. Interestingly, this range of estimated Stokes' shift, even though not corresponding to the megavalue of static dielectric constant reported in the literature for a binary mixture of molten CH(3)CONH(2) and NaSCN, exhibits a nonmonotonic KSCN concentration dependence. The magnitudes of the dynamic Stokes' shift detected in the present experiments are significantly less than the estimated ones, as nearly 40-60% of the total shift is missed due to the limited time resolution employed (full-width at half-maximum of the instrument response function approximately 70 ps). The solvation response function, constructed from the detected shifts in these systems, exhibits triexponential decay with the fastest time constant (tau(1)) in the 10-20 ps range, which might be much shorter if measured with a better time resolution. The second time constant (tau(2)) lies in the 70-100 ps range, and the third one (tau(3)) ranges between 300 and 800 ps. Both these time constants (tau(2) and tau(3)) show alkali metal ion concentration dependence and exhibit viscosity decoupling at higher viscosity in the NaSCN-enriched region. Time dependent rotational anisotropy has been found to be biexponential at all mixture compositions studied. Both the average solvation () and rotation () times of C153 in these mixtures exhibit fractional power law dependence on medium viscosity ( is proportional to eta(p), x being solvation or rotation). For solvation, p is found to be 0.46, which is very different from that obtained for common polar and nonpolar solvents, and RTILs (p approximately = 1). For rotation, p approximately = 0.65, which is again different from the value (p approximately = 1) obtained for common polar solvents and RTILs but very similar to that (p approximately = 0.6) found for nonpolar solvents. In addition, experimentally measured average rotation times in these mixtures are found to exhibit slip behavior in the low eta/T region, which gradually transforms to subslip as eta/T increases. Calculations using a recently developed semimolecular theory predict a total dynamic Stokes' shift for C153 (dipolar solute) in these molten mixtures near approximately 1600 cm(-1) where the...

The vibrational modes of the deoxyribose-phosphodiester backbone moiety of DNA and their interactions with the interfacial aqueous environment are addressed with two-dimensional (2D) infrared spectroscopy on a femto- to picosecond time scale. Beyond the current understanding in the harmonic approximation, the anharmonic character and delocalization of the backbone modes in the frequency range from 900 to 1300 cm(-1) are determined with both diagonal anharmonicities and intermode couplings on the order of 10 cm(-1). Mediated by the intermode couplings, energy transfer between the backbone modes takes place on a picosecond time scale, parallel to vibrational relaxation and energy dissipation into the environment. Probing structural dynamics noninvasively via the time evolution of the 2D lineshapes, limited structural fluctuations are observed on a 300 fs time scale of low-frequency motions of the helix, counterions, and water shell. Structural disorder of the DNA-water interface and DNA-water hydrogen bonds are, however, preserved for times beyond 10 ps. The different interactions of limited strength ensure ultrafast vibrational relaxation and dissipation of excess energy in the backbone structure, processes that are important for the structural integrity of hydrated DNA.

Range and magnitude of electric fields at biomolecular interfaces and their fluctuations in a time window down to the subpicosecond regime have remained controversial, calling for electric-field mapping in space and time. Here, we trace fluctuating electric fields at the surface of native salmon DNA via their interactions with backbone vibrations in a wide range of hydration levels by building the water shell layer by layer. Femtosecond two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy and ab initio based theory establish water molecules in the first two layers as the predominant source of interfacial electric fields, which fluctuate on a 300 fs time scale with an amplitude of 25 MV/cm due to thermally excited water motions. The observed subnanometer range of these electric interactions is decisive for biochemical structure and function.

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Here a combined dynamic fluorescence and all-atom molecular dynamics simulation study of aqueous pool-size dependent solvation energy and rotational relaxations of a neutral dipolar solute, C153, trapped in AOT (charged) and IGPAL (neutral) reverse micelles (RMs) at 298 K, is described. RMs in simulations have been represented by a reduced model where SPC/E water molecules interact with a trapped C153 that possesses realistic charge distributions for both ground and excited states. In large aqueous pools, measured average solvation and rotation rates are smaller for the neutral RMs than those in charged ones. Interestingly, while the measured average solvation and rotation rates increase with pool size for the charged RMs, the average rotation rates for the neutral RMs exhibit a reverse dependence. Simulations have qualitatively reproduced this experimental trend and suggested interfacial location for the solute for all cases. The origin for the subnanosecond Stokes shift dynamics has been investigated and solute-interface interaction contribution quantified. Simulated layer-wise translational and rotational diffusions of water molecules re-examine the validity of the core-shell model and provide a resolution to a debate regarding the origin of the subnanosecond solvation component in dynamic Stokes shift measurements with aqueous RMs but not detected in ultrafast IR measurements.

We have performed steady state UV-visible absorption and time-resolved fluorescence measurements and computer simulations to explore the cosolvent mole fraction induced changes in structural and dynamical properties of water/dioxane (Diox) and water/tetrahydrofuran (THF) binary mixtures. Diox is a quadrupolar solvent whereas THF is a dipolar one although both are cyclic molecules and represent cycloethers. The focus here is on whether these cycloethers can induce stiffening and transition of water H-bond network structure and, if they do, whether such structural modification differentiates the chemical nature (dipolar or quadrupolar) of the cosolvent molecules. Composition dependent measured fluorescence lifetimes and rotation times of a dissolved dipolar solute (Coumarin 153, C153) suggest cycloether mole-fraction (X(THF)/Diox) induced structural transition for both of these aqueous binary mixtures in the 0.1 ≤ X(THF)/Diox ≤ 0.2 regime with no specific dependence on the chemical nature. Interestingly, absorption measurements reveal stiffening of water H-bond structure in the presence of both the cycloethers at a nearly equal mole-fraction, X(THF)/Diox ∼ 0.05. Measurements near the critical solution temperature or concentration indicate no role for the solution criticality on the anomalous structural changes. Evidences for cycloether aggregation at very dilute concentrations have been found. Simulated radial distribution functions reflect abrupt changes in respective peak heights at those mixture compositions around which fluorescence measurements revealed structural transition. Simulated water coordination numbers (for a dissolved C153) and number of H-bonds also exhibit minima around these cosolvent concentrations. In addition, several dynamic heterogeneity parameters have been simulated for both the mixtures to explore the effects of structural transition and chemical nature of cosolvent on heterogeneous dynamics of these systems. Simulated four-point dynamic susceptibility suggests formation of clusters inducing local heterogeneity in the solution structure.