Hydrogen Bond Length as a Key To Understanding Sweetness

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Structural Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Monosaccharides are vital carbohydrates with diverse properties.
• Understanding their interaction with water is crucial for biological applications.
• Subtle structural differences can lead to significant functional variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the hydration shell structures of fructose, glucose, and mannose using neutron diffraction.
• To elucidate the relationship between monosaccharide structure, water interaction, and biological properties like sweetness.

Main Methods:

• Neutron diffraction experiments were conducted on aqueous solutions of fructose, glucose, and mannose.
• Analysis focused on the hydration shell structure and hydrogen bonding interactions.

Main Results:

• All three monosaccharides exhibited virtually identical influences on bulk water solvent structure.
• Distinct hydrogen bond lengths and strengths were observed between the sugars and neighboring water molecules.
• A correlation was found between monosaccharide sweetness and hydrogen bond length.

Conclusions:

• Despite thermodynamic and biological differences, fructose, glucose, and mannose share similar bulk water structuring effects.
• Stereochemical variations dictate unique water interactions, impacting polarity and in vivo behavior.
• Hydrogen bond characteristics offer insights into the perceived sweetness of sugars.