Work

Probing Hydrogen-Bonding Preferences and Methyl Internal Rotation in Sotolon and Sotolon-(H2O)1,2

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sotolon is a chiral furanone derivative featuring three distinct oxygen atoms at carbonyl, hydroxyl, and cyclic ether groups that can serve as hydrogen-bond acceptor sites, making it an ideal model system for probing water’s preferential interactions with competing functional groups. In this study, the rotational spectrum of sotolon and its microsolvated complexes, representing the early stages of hydration, was investigated using chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave (CP-FTMW) spectroscopy. The conformational landscape of sotolon is dominated by a single conformer stabilized by an intramolecular O–H···O=C hydrogen bond. During hydration, water molecules disrupt this interaction by forming closed hydrogen-bonded cycles, resulting in mono- and dihydrated complexes. High-level theoretical calculations underscore the central role of electrostatic interactions in stabilizing these hydrated structures. Furthermore, A/E splittings observed in the rotational spectrum, arising from the internal rotation of one of sotolon’s methyl groups, provide insight into how hydration modulates the methyl internal rotation barrier.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms26125806

Authors: Andrés Verde, Juan Carlos López, Susana Blanco

Institution: Universidad de Valladolid

Language: English

Topic: Molecular Spectroscopy and Structure

Subfield: Spectroscopy

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,499

Funders: Banco Santander, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Universidad de Valladolid, Junta de Castilla y León