Water induced bioelectret state in aminoacidic homopolymers

In order to attribute each peak of the complex TSDC (thermally stimulated depolarization current) lysozyme spectrum to a water-induced polarization process occurring at a given polypeptide chain segment, the authors have measured and compared the TSDC and infrared absorption spectra of several aminoacidic synthetic homopolymers at different hydration levels. The A-band (135-160 K), present in all the homopolymers investigated, is due to water molecule reorientation around the peptide bond. The B-band ( approximately 215 K) is related to the relaxation of the side chains, whose mobility and reorientation parameters are affected by the hydration level.< >