Cosolvent Effects on Solute–Solvent Hydrogen-Bond Dynamics: Ultrafast 2D IR Investigations

Cosolvents strongly influence the solute–solvent interactions of biomolecules in aqueous environments and have profound effects on the stability and activity of several proteins and enzymes. Experimental studies have previously reported on the hydrogen-bond dynamics of water molecules in the presence of a cosolvent, but understanding the effects from a solute’s perspective could provide greater insight into protein stability. Because carbonyl groups are abundant in biomolecules, the current study used 2D IR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to compare the hydrogen-bond dynamics of the solute’s carbonyl group in aqueous solution, with and without the presence of DMSO as a cosolvent. 2D IR spectroscopy was used to quantitatively estimate the time scales of the hydrogen-bond dynamics of the carbonyl group in neat water and 1:1 DMSO/water solution. The 2D IR results show spectral signatures of a chemical exchange process: The presence of the cosolvent was found to lower the hydrogen-bond exchange rate by a factor of 5. The measured exchange rates were 7.50 × 1011 and 1.48 × 1011 s–1 in neat water and 1:1 DMSO/water, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations predict a significantly shorter carbonyl hydrogen-bond lifetime in neat water than in 1:1 DMSO/water and provide molecular insights into the exchange mechanism. The binding of the cosolvent to the solute was found to be accompanied by the release of hydrogen-bonded water molecules to the bulk. The widely different hydrogen-bond lifetimes and exchange rates with and without DMSO indicate a significant change in the ultrafast hydrogen-bond dynamics in the presence of a cosolvent, which, in turn, might play an important role in the stability and activity of biomolecules.