title: Perturbation of second and farther hydration shells of alkali cations and bromide in concentrated aqueous protein as a water-shortage medium.
abstract: The Gibbs free energies of transfer of selected ions from water to concentrated aqueous ovalbumin and albumin (DeltaW(W') G degrees j) have been determined by ion-transfer voltammetry. Negative values for the tetrabutylammonium ion suggest its direct binding to ovalbumin. In contrast, for alkali cations and bromide, the DeltaW(W') G degrees j values are positive and increase with increasing ovalbumin concentration. Positive values are confirmed for concentrated aqueous albumin and poly(styrenesulfonate) as well. The largest value (ca. 10 kJ mol(-1)) is found for the transfer of K(+) from water to 30 wt % ovalbumin. To reveal the solvation structure of these ions in ovalbumin solutions, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements have been performed at the K, Rb, and Br K-edges. Interestingly, the spectra obtained in 30 wt % ovalbumin solutions are identical to those for the corresponding hydrated ions. This strongly suggests that the first coordination shell structures of these ions are not affected by a large concentration of ovalbumin. The detected positive free energy of transfer is slightly lower than the hydrogen bonding energy of a water molecule and should thus come from the perturbation of the second and farther hydration shells of the ions under a water-shortage condition caused by a high concentration of ovalbumin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada