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Natural Polysaccharides Tuning Ice Nucleation by Charges
Yunhe Diao1, Beili Huang1, Kaiyong Li2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
Biomacromolecules
|November 10, 2025
Summary
Highly negatively charged polysaccharides effectively inhibit ice nucleation by influencing water molecule orientation. This research clarifies the role of charge density in biological adaptation to cold environments.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Organisms utilize antifreeze proteins and polysaccharides for cold adaptation.
- The precise mechanisms of polysaccharides in controlling ice formation remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulatory effects of charged polysaccharides on ice nucleation.
- To understand the underlying mechanisms of polysaccharide-ice interactions.
Main Methods:
- Systematic investigation of linearly charged polysaccharides.
- Experimental analysis of heterogeneous ice nucleation (HIN).
- Sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy for water molecule analysis.
Main Results:
- Polysaccharides with higher negative surface charge density suppressed HIN more effectively.
- Ice nucleation kinetics showed a critical dependence on the energy barrier scaling factor (Γ).
- Negatively charged polysaccharides induced significant orientational ordering of interfacial water molecules.
Conclusions:
- Charge density is a key factor in polysaccharide-mediated ice nucleation inhibition.
- Polysaccharides influence ice nucleation by altering interfacial water structure.
- This study enhances understanding of natural cold-adaptation strategies.
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