Event Description
Tim Vaden, PhD, Rowan University “Ionic Liquids as Solvents for Proton Transfer and Solutes for Protein Destabilization”
Abstract: Ionic liquids (ILs) can function as solvents for Bronsted acids to enhance proton conductivities for a variety of electrochemical and organic synthesis applications. The underlying mechanisms of acid solvation and proton transport in ILs can be elucidated using vibrational spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations. ILs as additives in aqueous solution have numerous applications in biomedical technology, including protein solubilization, enzyme activity modulation, drug delivery, and antibiotic enhancement. The effects of ILs on proteins in solution can be characterized with protein folding studies and molecular dynamic simulations. This talk will present recent studies of Bronsted acid solvation in ILs as well as studies investigating the effects of ILs on protein structures and lipid bilayers. The characterization of acidic ILs shows how certain ILs can participate in a Grottus-like proton transfer mechanism. The alpha-helical myoglobin and beta-sheet mCherry proteins have been studied in solutions with different ILs including conventional species as well as novel amino acid-based ILs. Biophysical characterization combined with molecular dynamics simulations helps elucidate how dilute ILs can destabilize protein structures without direct interaction.
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