Biomedical subjects

Babak Minofar

Publications and source records attributed to Babak Minofar.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Propensity for the air/water interface and ion pairing in magnesium acetate vs magnesium nitrate solutions: molecular dynamics simulations and surface tension measurements.

Molecular dynamics simulations in slab geometry and surface tension measurements were performed for aqueous solutions of magnesium acetate and magnesium nitrate at various concentrations. The simulations reveal a strong affinity of acetate anions for the surface, while nitrate exhibits only a very weak surface propensity, and magnesium is per se strongly repelled from the air/water interface. CH3COO- also exhibits a much stronger tendency than NO3- for ion pairing with Mg2+ in the bulk and particularly in the interfacial layer. The different interfacial behavior of the two anions is reflected by the opposite concentration dependence (beyond 0.5 M) of surface tension of the corresponding magnesium salts. Measurements, supported by simulations, show that the surface tension of Mg(NO3)2(aq) increases with concentration as for other inorganic salts. However, in the case of Mg(OAc)2(aq) the surface tension isotherm exhibits a turnover around 0.5 M, after which it starts to decrease, indicating a positive net solute excess in the interfacial layer at higher concentrations.

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PubMed2006

Determination of the electron affinity of the acetyloxyl radical (CH3COO) by low-temperature anion photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

The electronic structure and electron affinity of the acetyloxyl radical (CH3COO) were investigated by low-temperature anion photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Photoelectron spectra of the acetate anion (CH3COO-) were obtained at two photon energies (355 and 266 nm) and under three different temperatures (300, 70, and 20 K) with use of a new low-temperature ion-trap photoelectron spectroscopy apparatus. In contrast to a featureless spectrum at 300 K, a well-resolved vibrational progression corresponding to the OCO bending mode was observed at low temperatures in the 355 nm spectrum, yielding an accurate electron affinity for the acetyloxyl radical as 3.250 +/- 0.010 eV. This experimental result is supported by ab initio calculations, which also indicate three low-lying electronic states observed in the 266 nm spectrum. The calculations suggest a 19 degrees decrease of the OCO angle upon detaching an electron from acetate, consistent with the vibrational progression observed experimentally.

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PubMed2006

Aqueous ionic and complementary zwitterionic soluble surfactants: molecular dynamics simulations and sum frequency generation spectroscopy of the surfaces.

An aqueous ionic surfactant, 1-dodecyl-4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium (DMP) bromide, and the corresponding zwitterion 2-[4-(dimethylamino)pyridinio]dodecanoate (DPN) were explored by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and, for the ionic system, by infrared-visible sum frequency generation (IR-vis SFG). The molecular structure of the interfacial layer was investigated for the ionic and zwitterionic systems as a function of surfactant concentration, both in water and in salt (KF or KBr) solutions, by MD simulations in a slab geometry. The buildup of the surface monolayer and a sublayer was monitored, and density and orientational profiles of the surfactants were evaluated. The difference between the ionic and zwitterionic systems and the effect of the added salt were analyzed at the molecular level. The results of MD simulations were compared to those of nonlinear optical spectroscopy measurements. IR-vis SFG was employed to study the DMP ionic surfactant in water and upon addition of simple salts. The influence of added salts on the different molecular moieties at the interface was quantified in detail experimentally.

Ions↗

PubMed2005

Ultrasonic velocities, densities, viscosities, electrical conductivities, Raman spectra, and molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous solutions of Mg(OAc)2 and Mg(NO3)2: Hofmeister effects and ion pair formation.

The ultrasonic velocities, densities, viscosities, and electrical conductivities of aqueous solutions of magnesium nitrate and magnesium acetate have been measured from dilute to saturation concentrations at 0 < or = t/degrees C < or = 50. The temperature derivative of the isentropic compressibility, kappa(s), became zero at 2.28 and 2.90 mol kg(-1) for Mg(OAc)2 and Mg(NO3)2 solutions, respectively, at 25 degrees C. The total hydration numbers of the dissolved ions were estimated to be, respectively, 24.3 and 19.2 at these concentrations. Differences in kappa(s) for various M2+ salts, using the present and literature data, correlated with reported M2+-OH2 bond lengths and to a lesser extent with cationic charge densities (ionic radii). The influence of anions on kappa(s) appears to follow the Hofmeister series and also correlates approximately with the anionic charge density. Substantial differences between Mg(OAc)2(aq) and Mg(NO3)2(aq) occur with respect to their structural relaxation times (derived from compressibility and viscosity data) and their electrical conductivities. These differences were attributed to a much greater ion association in Mg(OAc)2 solutions. Raman spectra recorded at 28 degrees C confirmed the presence of various types of contact ion pairs including mono- and bidentate complexes in Mg(OAc)2(aq). In Mg(NO3)2(aq), only noncontact ion pairs appear to be formed even at high concentrations. The experimental results are supported by molecular dynamics simulations, which also reveal the much stronger tendency of OAc- compared to NO3- to associate with Mg2+ in aqueous solutions. The simulations also allow an evaluation of the ion-ion and ion-water radial distribution functions and cumulative sums and provide a molecular picture of ion hydration in Mg(OAc)2(aq) and Mg(NO3)2(aq) at varying concentrations.

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PubMed2005

Interior and interfacial aqueous solvation of benzene dicarboxylate dianions and their methylated analogues: A combined molecular dynamics and photoelectron spectroscopy study.

Aqueous solvation of benzene dicarboxylate dianions (BCD(2-)) was studied by means of photoelectron spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. Photoelectron spectra of hydrated o- and p-BCD(2-) with up to 25 water molecules were obtained. An even-odd effect was observed for the p-BCD(2-) system as a result of the alternate solvation of the two negative charges. However, the high polarizability of the benzene ring makes the two carboxylate groups interact with each other in p-BCD(2-), suppressing the strength of this even-odd effect compared with the linear dicarboxylate dianions linked by an aliphatic chain. No even-odd effect was observed for the o-BCD(2-) system, because each solvent molecule can interact with the two carboxylate groups at the same time due to their proximity. For large solvated clusters, the spectral features of the solute decreased while the solvent features became dominant, suggesting that both o- and p-BCD(2-) are situated in the center of the solvated clusters. Molecular dynamics simulations with both nonpolarizable and polarizable force fields confirmed that all three isomers (o-, m-, and p-BCD(2-)) solvate in the aqueous bulk. However, upon methylation the hydrophobic forces overwhelm electrostatic interactions and, as a result, the calculations predict that the tetramethyl-o-BCD(2-) is located at the water surface with the carboxylate groups anchored in the liquid and the methylated benzene ring tilted away from the aqueous phase.

Anions↗

PubMed2004

Bulk versus interfacial aqueous solvation of dicarboxylate dianions.

Solvation of dicarboxylate dianions of varying length of the aliphatic chain in water clusters and in extended aqueous slabs was investigated using photoelectron spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. Photoelectron spectra of hydrated succinate, adipate, and tetradecandioic dianions with up to 20 water molecules were obtained. Even-odd effects were observed as a result of the alternate solvation mode of the two negative charges with increasing solvent numbers. The competition between hydrophilic interactions of the charged carboxylate groups and hydrophobic interactions of the aliphatic chain leads to conformation changes in large water clusters containing dicarboxylates bigger than adipate. It also leads to a transition from bulk aqueous solvation of small dicarboxylates to solvation at the water/vapor interface of the larger ones. Whereas oxalate and adipate solvate in the inner parts of the aqueous slab, suberate and longer dicarboxylate dianions have a strong propensity to the surface. This transition also has consequences for the folding of the flexible aliphatic chain and for the structure of aqueous solvation shells around the dianions.

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