Studying ionic liquids (ILs) through computational methods is one of the ways to accelerate progress in the design of novel and potentially green materials optimized for task-specific applications. Therefore, it is essential to develop simple and cost-effective computational procedures that are able to replicate and predict experimental data. Among these, spectroscopic measurements are of particular relevance since they are often implicated in structure-property relationships, especially in the infrared spectral region, where characteristic absorption and scattering processes due to molecular vibrations are ultimately influenced by the surrounding environment in the condensed phase. In this frame, we validate, vis-à-vis experimental data, an efficient theoretical method to compute the Raman spectra in the liquid phase of four especially synthesized dicationic ionic liquids and to assess the conformational cation/anion contributions to the experimental bands. The computational procedure is based on the assessment of the most probable conformations as evaluated by a computational protocol involving both molecular dynamics and ab initio methods.
通过计算方法研究离子液体(ILs)是加快设计新型和潜在绿色材料(针对特定任务应用进行了优化)进程的方法之一。因此,开发能够复制和预测实验数据的简单且具有成本效益的计算程序至关重要。其中,光谱测量尤为重要,因为它们往往与结构-性能关系有关,特别是在红外光谱区,分子振动引起的特征吸收和散射过程最终会受到凝聚相中周围环境的影响。在此框架下,我们根据实验数据验证了一种高效的理论方法,用于计算四种特别合成的双阳离子离子液体在液相中的拉曼光谱,并评估阳离子/阴离子对实验波段的构象贡献。该计算程序基于对最可能构象的评估,评估结果通过分子动力学和 ab initio 方法的计算协议得出。
{"title":"Applying Computational Spectroscopy Methods to Raman Spectra of Dicationic, Imidazolium-Based, Ionic Liquids.","authors":"Matteo Farina, Flaminia Rondino, Andrea Lapi, Mauro Falconieri, Serena Gagliardi, Isabella Daidone, Caterina Fraschetti, Enrico Bodo, Antonello Filippi","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03903","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03903","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Studying ionic liquids (ILs) through computational methods is one of the ways to accelerate progress in the design of novel and potentially green materials optimized for task-specific applications. Therefore, it is essential to develop simple and cost-effective computational procedures that are able to replicate and predict experimental data. Among these, spectroscopic measurements are of particular relevance since they are often implicated in structure-property relationships, especially in the infrared spectral region, where characteristic absorption and scattering processes due to molecular vibrations are ultimately influenced by the surrounding environment in the condensed phase. In this frame, we validate, <i>vis-à-vis</i> experimental data, an efficient theoretical method to compute the Raman spectra in the liquid phase of four especially synthesized dicationic ionic liquids and to assess the conformational cation/anion contributions to the experimental bands. The computational procedure is based on the assessment of the most probable conformations as evaluated by a computational protocol involving both molecular dynamics and ab initio methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c05394
Bikirna Roy, V M Hridya, Arnab Mukherjee
Barrier-crossing rates of biophysical processes, ranging from simple conformational changes to protein folding, often deviate from the Kramers prediction of an inverse viscosity dependence. In many recent studies, this has been attributed to the presence of internal friction within the system. Previously, we showed that memory-dependent friction arising from the nonequilibrium solvation of a single particle crossing a smooth one-dimensional barrier can also cause such a deviation and be misinterpreted as internal friction. Here we introduce a simple diatom model and show that even in the absence of explicit solvent, internal memory effects arise due to coupling of the reaction coordinate motion with frictionally orthogonal degrees of freedom. This results in a fractional viscosity dependence and a deviation from Kramers' theory, typically attributed to the presence of internal friction. This model therefore mimics several biological processes where a local conformational change of a biomolecule is often influenced by its surroundings. This gives rise to an apparent "internal friction" commonly measured in terms of empirical fitting parameters α and σ. We propose a microscopic measure of this internal friction using Grote-Hynes theory which employs memory-dependent friction. We use butane to demonstrate the effect of coupling strength on the internal friction in realistic systems. This model therefore can serve the purpose of understanding internal friction in biological systems in terms of such coupling.
{"title":"Memory Effects Explain the Fractional Viscosity Dependence of Rates Associated with Internal Friction: Simple Models and Applications to Butane Dihedral Rotation.","authors":"Bikirna Roy, V M Hridya, Arnab Mukherjee","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c05394","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c05394","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Barrier-crossing rates of biophysical processes, ranging from simple conformational changes to protein folding, often deviate from the Kramers prediction of an inverse viscosity dependence. In many recent studies, this has been attributed to the presence of internal friction within the system. Previously, we showed that memory-dependent friction arising from the nonequilibrium solvation of a single particle crossing a smooth one-dimensional barrier can also cause such a deviation and be misinterpreted as internal friction. Here we introduce a simple diatom model and show that even in the absence of explicit solvent, internal memory effects arise due to coupling of the reaction coordinate motion with frictionally orthogonal degrees of freedom. This results in a fractional viscosity dependence and a deviation from Kramers' theory, typically attributed to the presence of internal friction. This model therefore mimics several biological processes where a local conformational change of a biomolecule is often influenced by its surroundings. This gives rise to an apparent \"internal friction\" commonly measured in terms of empirical fitting parameters α and σ. We propose a microscopic measure of this internal friction using Grote-Hynes theory which employs memory-dependent friction. We use butane to demonstrate the effect of coupling strength on the internal friction in realistic systems. This model therefore can serve the purpose of understanding internal friction in biological systems in terms of such coupling.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06191
Masahide Sato
Brownian dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the structural dependence of the first epitaxial layer in colloidal heteroepitaxy. When the epitaxial particles were larger than the substrate particles and the interactions were dominated by the depletion force, a hexagonal structure formed on a closely packed hexagonal substrate. The orientation of this hexagonal structure varied with the size ratio of the epitaxial to substrate particles to make the interaction between the substrate and epitaxial particles strong. When the sizes of the substrate and epitaxial particles were similar, long-period structures formed instead of hexagonal structures to strengthen the interaction between the substrate and epitaxial layer at the expense of the interaction between particles in the first epitaxial layer.
{"title":"Structures of the First Epitaxial Layer Created in Colloidal Heteroepitaxy.","authors":"Masahide Sato","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brownian dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the structural dependence of the first epitaxial layer in colloidal heteroepitaxy. When the epitaxial particles were larger than the substrate particles and the interactions were dominated by the depletion force, a hexagonal structure formed on a closely packed hexagonal substrate. The orientation of this hexagonal structure varied with the size ratio of the epitaxial to substrate particles to make the interaction between the substrate and epitaxial particles strong. When the sizes of the substrate and epitaxial particles were similar, long-period structures formed instead of hexagonal structures to strengthen the interaction between the substrate and epitaxial layer at the expense of the interaction between particles in the first epitaxial layer.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-21DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06018
Harish Gudla, Chao Zhang
{"title":"How to Determine Glass Transition Temperature of Polymer Electrolytes from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.","authors":"Harish Gudla, Chao Zhang","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06018","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-21DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03217
Sunanda Samanta, Md Fulbabu Sk, Suman Koirala, Parimal Kar
The spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is a key regulator in immune cell signaling and is linked to various mechanisms in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Although most computational research on Syk focuses on novel drug design, the molecular-level regulatory dynamics remain unexplored. In this study, we utilized 5 × 1 μs all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the Syk kinase domain, examining it in combinations of activation segment phosphorylated/unphosphorylated (at Tyr525, Tyr526) and the "DFG"-Asp protonated/deprotonated (at Asp512) states to investigate conformational variations and regulatory dynamics of various loops and motifs within the kinase domain. Our findings revealed that the formation and disruption of several electrostatic interactions among residues within and near the activation segment likely influenced its dynamics. The protein structure network analysis indicated that the N-terminal and C-terminal anchors were stabilized by connections with the nearby stable helical regions. The P-loop showed conformational variation characterized by movements toward and away from the conserved "HRD"-motif. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between the movement of the β3-αC loop and the P-loop, which controls the dimensions of the adenine-binding cavity of the C-spine region. Overall, understanding these significant motions of the Syk kinase domain enhances our knowledge of its functional regulatory mechanism and can guide future research.
{"title":"Dynamic Interplay of Loop Motions Governs the Molecular Level Regulatory Dynamics in Spleen Tyrosine Kinase: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.","authors":"Sunanda Samanta, Md Fulbabu Sk, Suman Koirala, Parimal Kar","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03217","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is a key regulator in immune cell signaling and is linked to various mechanisms in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Although most computational research on Syk focuses on novel drug design, the molecular-level regulatory dynamics remain unexplored. In this study, we utilized 5 × 1 μs all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the Syk kinase domain, examining it in combinations of activation segment phosphorylated/unphosphorylated (at Tyr525, Tyr526) and the \"DFG\"-Asp protonated/deprotonated (at Asp512) states to investigate conformational variations and regulatory dynamics of various loops and motifs within the kinase domain. Our findings revealed that the formation and disruption of several electrostatic interactions among residues within and near the activation segment likely influenced its dynamics. The protein structure network analysis indicated that the N-terminal and C-terminal anchors were stabilized by connections with the nearby stable helical regions. The P-loop showed conformational variation characterized by movements toward and away from the conserved \"HRD\"-motif. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between the movement of the β3-αC loop and the P-loop, which controls the dimensions of the adenine-binding cavity of the C-spine region. Overall, understanding these significant motions of the Syk kinase domain enhances our knowledge of its functional regulatory mechanism and can guide future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-21DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04319
Joshua H Howell, Brian K Canfield, Lino Costa, James E Rhodes, Alexander Terekhov, Trevor M Moeller
Ionic liquids (ILs) have proven extremely useful for a wide variety of roles, including as propellants for electrospray thrusters (ETs), due to their unique physical and chemical properties, as well as the potential tunability of those properties, through chemical engineering. However, there is a lack of literature exploring the effects of IL properties on ET operation. This paper presents experimental results investigating key physical properties of the common ILs 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMI-TFSI), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (BMI-TFO), EAN, and Bmpyr-DCA not provided by manufacturers or reported in the literature, namely, their electrochemical stability windows (ESWs) and contact angles. Cyclic voltammetry experiments were employed to define the ESW of each IL, which is necessary for long-term ET operation while avoiding chemical breakdown. Contact-angle measurements were also conducted to study the wettability of the ILs on glass surfaces to be used for ET thruster substrates [Howell, J. H.; . J. Electrost. 2023, 122, 103799]. In addition, an analytical discussion is presented using established parametric relationships and scaling laws to examine the effects of relevant IL physical properties, such as surface tension and ion molecular weights, on ET performance. The results demonstrate the relative impact of IL properties on important ET figures of merit such as thrust density, power density, and specific impulse, which provide key insights into the future development of novel ILs specifically tailored for use as ET propellants.
离子液体(IL)因其独特的物理和化学特性,以及通过化学工程对这些特性进行调整的潜力,已被证明可用于多种用途,包括作为电喷雾推进器(ET)的推进剂。然而,目前尚缺乏文献探讨 IL 特性对 ET 运行的影响。本文介绍了实验结果,研究了生产商未提供或文献未报道的常见离子交换树脂 1-乙基-3-甲基咪唑鎓双(三氟甲基磺酰基)亚胺 (EMI-TFSI)、1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑鎓三氟甲磺酸盐 (BMI-TFO)、EAN 和 Bmpyr-DCA 的关键物理性质,即它们的电化学稳定窗口 (ESW) 和接触角。循环伏安法实验用于确定每种 IL 的 ESW,ESW 是长期 ET 运行同时避免化学分解所必需的。此外,还进行了接触角测量,以研究用于 ET 推进器基底的玻璃表面上 IL 的润湿性 [Howell, J. H.; . J. Electrost.]此外,还利用已建立的参数关系和比例定律进行了分析讨论,以研究相关 IL 物理特性(如表面张力和离子分子量)对 ET 性能的影响。结果表明了离子液体特性对推力密度、功率密度和比冲等重要 ET 性能指标的相对影响,为今后开发专门用作 ET 推进剂的新型离子液体提供了重要启示。
{"title":"Analysis of the Effects of Ionic Liquid Properties on Electrospray Thruster Performance.","authors":"Joshua H Howell, Brian K Canfield, Lino Costa, James E Rhodes, Alexander Terekhov, Trevor M Moeller","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04319","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ionic liquids (ILs) have proven extremely useful for a wide variety of roles, including as propellants for electrospray thrusters (ETs), due to their unique physical and chemical properties, as well as the potential tunability of those properties, through chemical engineering. However, there is a lack of literature exploring the effects of IL properties on ET operation. This paper presents experimental results investigating key physical properties of the common ILs 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMI-TFSI), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (BMI-TFO), EAN, and Bmpyr-DCA not provided by manufacturers or reported in the literature, namely, their electrochemical stability windows (ESWs) and contact angles. Cyclic voltammetry experiments were employed to define the ESW of each IL, which is necessary for long-term ET operation while avoiding chemical breakdown. Contact-angle measurements were also conducted to study the wettability of the ILs on glass surfaces to be used for ET thruster substrates [Howell, J. H.; . <i>J. Electrost.</i> 2023, 122, 103799]. In addition, an analytical discussion is presented using established parametric relationships and scaling laws to examine the effects of relevant IL physical properties, such as surface tension and ion molecular weights, on ET performance. The results demonstrate the relative impact of IL properties on important ET figures of merit such as thrust density, power density, and specific impulse, which provide key insights into the future development of novel ILs specifically tailored for use as ET propellants.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04221
Fatemeh Ebrahimi, Mehdi Neek-Amal, Muhammad Sahimi
Taylor-Aris (T-A) dispersion of a solute in a flowing solvent is a fundamental phenomenon in most mass-transfer processes. Despite its significance and numerous applications in microreactors, colloidal transport in confined media, chromatographic separation, and transport in biological tissues, the effect of the slip length and the topology of surface potential landscapes on T-A dispersion in nanostructured channels has not been studied in detail. We propose a novel methodology for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of T-A dispersion in such systems, derive an analytical expression for the dispersion coefficient in them, and report on the results of extensive MD simulations of the phenomenon in carbon nanotubes and hexagonal carbon nanochannels. By broadening the topology of the surface energy landscape, we vary the slip lengths, making it possible to distinguish between the effects of confinement, the topology of the energy landscape, and the slip length on the T-A dispersion coefficient. It is demonstrated that measuring the T-A dispersion coefficient in laminar flow is a straightforward and reliable approach for estimating the slip length in nanotubes and other nanostructured materials.
{"title":"Taylor-Aris Dispersion in Nanotubes: Analytical Solution, Effects of Slip and Surface Potential Landscape, and Measurement of the Slip Length.","authors":"Fatemeh Ebrahimi, Mehdi Neek-Amal, Muhammad Sahimi","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04221","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Taylor-Aris (T-A) dispersion of a solute in a flowing solvent is a fundamental phenomenon in most mass-transfer processes. Despite its significance and numerous applications in microreactors, colloidal transport in confined media, chromatographic separation, and transport in biological tissues, the effect of the slip length and the topology of surface potential landscapes on T-A dispersion in nanostructured channels has not been studied in detail. We propose a novel methodology for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of T-A dispersion in such systems, derive an analytical expression for the dispersion coefficient in them, and report on the results of extensive MD simulations of the phenomenon in carbon nanotubes and hexagonal carbon nanochannels. By broadening the topology of the surface energy landscape, we vary the slip lengths, making it possible to distinguish between the effects of confinement, the topology of the energy landscape, and the slip length on the T-A dispersion coefficient. It is demonstrated that measuring the T-A dispersion coefficient in laminar flow is a straightforward and reliable approach for estimating the slip length in nanotubes and other nanostructured materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We study the influence of tyrosine phosphorylation on PTP-PEST, a cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase. Utilizing a combination of experimental data and computational modeling, specific tyrosine sites, notably, Y64 and Y88, are identified for potential phosphorylation. Phosphorylation at these sites affects loop dynamics near the catalytic site, altering interactions among key residues and modifying the size of the binding pocket. This, in turn, impacts substrate binding, as indicated by changes in the binding energy. Our findings provide insights into the structural and functional consequences of tyrosine phosphorylation on PTP-PEST, enhancing our understanding of its effects on substrate binding and catalytic conformation.
{"title":"Role of Tyrosine Phosphorylation in PTP-PEST.","authors":"Sreevidya Thirumalai Srinivasan, Amrutha Manikandan, Narayanan Manoj, Madhulika Dixit, Satyavani Vemparala","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We study the influence of tyrosine phosphorylation on PTP-PEST, a cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase. Utilizing a combination of experimental data and computational modeling, specific tyrosine sites, notably, Y64 and Y88, are identified for potential phosphorylation. Phosphorylation at these sites affects loop dynamics near the catalytic site, altering interactions among key residues and modifying the size of the binding pocket. This, in turn, impacts substrate binding, as indicated by changes in the binding energy. Our findings provide insights into the structural and functional consequences of tyrosine phosphorylation on PTP-PEST, enhancing our understanding of its effects on substrate binding and catalytic conformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03019
Angelo S Visco, Anisha S Pawar, Nathaniel A Schambach, Nabin K Thapa, Yi Y Zuo, A Wilhelm Neumann, Zdenka Policova, Joel L Plawsky, Shekhar Garde, Anthony E Smart, William V Meyer, Alexander I Belgovskiy, J Adin Mann, Elizabeth K Mann
The measured surface tension of a binary liquid is found to depend strongly on the constituents of the adjacent vapor and on whether equilibrium has been achieved, giving insight into the complex interfacial configuration. This dependence is quantified by three techniques that offer complementary insights: surface tension measurements with a constrained sessile drop surrounded by different vapors, surface tension measurements by surface light scattering spectroscopy in a sealed cell at equilibrium, and molecular dynamics simulations of the equilibrium surface tension and excess surface concentration. Ensuring homogeneity of the binary liquid, which is essential for surface light scattering, was found to be nontrivial and was assured by high-sensitivity Schlieren imaging. Two pairs of liquids, n-pentane with 2-methylpentane and n-pentane with n-hexane, were investigated. The first pair was motivated by the observed improvement in the effectiveness of binary fluids versus a single constituent in wickless heat pipes studied in microgravity. The second pair was used for comparison. Experimental evaluation of different volume fractions of the two liquids showed strong dependence of surface tension on the relative concentration of different molecules near the interfacial region. For the above pairs of liquids, which appear to form ideal mixtures in bulk, we present sufficiently precise surface tension measurements to indicate unexpectedly complex behaviors at interfaces.
{"title":"Surface Tension of Two Near-Ideal Binary Liquid Mixtures and the Influence of Adjacent Vapors.","authors":"Angelo S Visco, Anisha S Pawar, Nathaniel A Schambach, Nabin K Thapa, Yi Y Zuo, A Wilhelm Neumann, Zdenka Policova, Joel L Plawsky, Shekhar Garde, Anthony E Smart, William V Meyer, Alexander I Belgovskiy, J Adin Mann, Elizabeth K Mann","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The measured surface tension of a binary liquid is found to depend strongly on the constituents of the adjacent vapor and on whether equilibrium has been achieved, giving insight into the complex interfacial configuration. This dependence is quantified by three techniques that offer complementary insights: surface tension measurements with a constrained sessile drop surrounded by different vapors, surface tension measurements by surface light scattering spectroscopy in a sealed cell at equilibrium, and molecular dynamics simulations of the equilibrium surface tension and excess surface concentration. Ensuring homogeneity of the binary liquid, which is essential for surface light scattering, was found to be nontrivial and was assured by high-sensitivity Schlieren imaging. Two pairs of liquids, <i>n</i>-pentane with 2-methylpentane and <i>n</i>-pentane with <i>n</i>-hexane, were investigated. The first pair was motivated by the observed improvement in the effectiveness of binary fluids versus a single constituent in wickless heat pipes studied in microgravity. The second pair was used for comparison. Experimental evaluation of different volume fractions of the two liquids showed strong dependence of surface tension on the relative concentration of different molecules near the interfacial region. For the above pairs of liquids, which appear to form ideal mixtures in bulk, we present sufficiently precise surface tension measurements to indicate unexpectedly complex behaviors at interfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-17Epub Date: 2024-10-02DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03851
Sowmomita Gharui, Durba Sengupta, Atanu Das
Several antiviral therapeutic approaches have been targeted toward the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex that is involved in viral genome replication. In SARS-CoV-2, although the RdRp is a multiprotein complex, the focus has been on the ligand binding catalytic core (nonstructural protein nsp12), and not the multiprotein functional dynamics. In this study, we focus on the conformational ensembles of the RdRp complex and their modulation by the presence of RNA, performing comprehensive microsecond-scale atomistic simulations of the apo- and RNA-bound complex. We delineate the differential impact of RNA on the constituent proteins, such as conformational polymorphisms, dominant segment-specific fluctuations, and the switch in dynamical crosstalk within the complex. We distinguish dynamical signatures of nsp7, nsp8, and nsp12 in the apo-state that are reduced in the presence of the RNA and appear to "prime" the complex for activity. Importantly, we identify a unique structural malleability of the nsp8 protein with high conformational heterogeneity in the apo state, especially at three sites (Y71 for nsp8A, and D52 and A66 for nsp8B). Our work highlights the functional implications of the polymorphism of nsp8 structures and reveals possibilities for the development of allosteric inhibitors.
{"title":"Characterization of the Conformational Hotspots of the RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Complex Identifies a Unique Structural Malleability of nsp8.","authors":"Sowmomita Gharui, Durba Sengupta, Atanu Das","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03851","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03851","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several antiviral therapeutic approaches have been targeted toward the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex that is involved in viral genome replication. In SARS-CoV-2, although the RdRp is a multiprotein complex, the focus has been on the ligand binding catalytic core (nonstructural protein nsp12), and not the multiprotein functional dynamics. In this study, we focus on the conformational ensembles of the RdRp complex and their modulation by the presence of RNA, performing comprehensive microsecond-scale atomistic simulations of the apo- and RNA-bound complex. We delineate the differential impact of RNA on the constituent proteins, such as conformational polymorphisms, dominant segment-specific fluctuations, and the switch in dynamical crosstalk within the complex. We distinguish dynamical signatures of nsp7, nsp8, and nsp12 in the apo-state that are reduced in the presence of the RNA and appear to \"prime\" the complex for activity. Importantly, we identify a unique structural malleability of the nsp8 protein with high conformational heterogeneity in the apo state, especially at three sites (Y71 for nsp8A, and D52 and A66 for nsp8B). Our work highlights the functional implications of the polymorphism of nsp8 structures and reveals possibilities for the development of allosteric inhibitors.</p>","PeriodicalId":60,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Physical Chemistry B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142360768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}