From Vibrational Spectroscopy to Force Fields and Structures of Saccharides: New Computational Algorithms and Applications

This work was undertaken with the main objective to investigate basic reactions that take place in relatively simple saccharides (mono-saccharides and cellobiose - the building block of cellulose) , in isolation and in cluster with few water molecules or with (gas-phase) clusters of few waters and ionic compounds (salt, isolated ions like H{sup +} or OH{sup -}). Within the context of this work, different potentials were investigated; among them, were the PM3 semi empirical potential, DFT/BLYP and a new hybrid potential constructed from MP2 for the harmonic part and from adjusted Hartree-Fock anharmonic interactions (VSCF-PT2). These potentials were evaluated by comparison with experimental data from published sources and from several collaborating groups. The findings show excellent agreement between experiments and predictions with the hybrid VSCF-PT2 potential and very good agreement with predictions obtained from dynamics with dispersion corrected DFT/BLYP potential. Investigation of hydration of cellobiose, was another topic of interest. Guided by a hydration motif demonstrated by our experimental collaborators (team of Prof J.P. Simons), we demonstrated large energetic and structural differences between the two species of cellobiose: cis and trans. The later, which is dominant in solid and liquid phases, is higher in energy in the gas-phase and comparedmore » to pure water, it does not disturb as much the network of H bonds. In contrast, the cis species exhibits asymmetric hydration in cluster with up to 25 waters, indicating that it has surfactant properties. Another highlight of this research effort was the successful first time spectrometric and spectroscopic study of a gas-phase protonated sugar derivative (alpha-D-Galactopyranoside) and its interpretation by Ab Initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The findings demonstrate the formation of a motif in which a proton bridges between two Oxygen atoms (belonging to OH groups) at the sugar; The vibrational bands involving the shared proton were strongly shifted to lower frequencies ( by about ~ 500 cm{sup -1} for the symmetric mode, in this case). A similar motif was also observed recently by us in protonated cellobiose, indicating that this might be a common mechanism for interaction of a proton with sugars, perhaps similar to the proton wires observed in proteins. The simulations with protonated sugars also shed light on different mechanisms of interaction of a sugar with a proton, including formation of a carboxonium ion, mutarotation events, ring puckering and in the disaccharide cellobiose, the breaking of the glycosidic bond (in both forms of cis and trans). One final highlight to note in this summary, is the finding that in the monosaccharide beta-D-Galactose a hydroxyl ion abstracts a proton (forming water) in a barrierless process at room temperature, but the water remains bound to the sugar backbone, though it migrates around it; actual degradation occurs at ~500 K when water leaves the sugar. However, the study also shows that the water abstraction reaction can be reversed in the presence of 2 additional water molecules complexed with the sugar.« less