Quasielastic neutron scattering study on disaccharide aqueous solutions

Quasielastic neutron scattering measurements performed at ISIS by the IRIS spectrometer (RAL, UK) reveal new perspectives for understanding the peculi arities of interactions between disaccharides and water. In particular the: comparison between the homologous disaccharides trehalose, maltose and suc rose allows to put in evidence that, although the dynamics of the three sug ar molecules does not differ appreciably, in the case of trehalose aqueous solutions the dynamics of water is sensitively slowed down not only in resp ect to the bulk water. but also to water in the presence of the other disac charides. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.