Vibrational dynamics of water molecules confined within trehalose H-bond imposed networks: A Raman response

This paper reports the results of a comparative study on the structural pro perties of water confined within a disaccharide network of homologous disac charides (trehalose, maltose and sucrose). The findings, obtained by Raman scattering evidence the key role played by disaccharide-water interaction b y H-bond. From the whole results we show that the greater cryoprotective be havior of trehalose can be attributed to its higher destructuring power on the tetrahedral hydrogen-bond network of water and hence, in its major effe ctiveness to reduce the amount of freezable water.