Hydrogen Bonding Studies in Aqueous Meso-erythritol Solutions Using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) Technique

Abstract

The complex permittivity has been determined for mixtures of meso-erythritol water with various concentrations by using time domain reflectometry (TDR). This study focuses on these attributes to investigate the dielectric relaxation and hydration dynamics of meso-erythritol-water mixtures using TDR across the frequency range of 10 MHz to 10 GHz. The static dielectric constant (ε₀) and relaxation time (τ) are analyzed for various volume fractions of water (V_water) at different temperatures. The study employs the Cole-Davidson model to understand the relaxation dynamics and Kirkwood-Frohlich correlation factors to elucidate hydrogen bonding contributions. The hydration number and thermodynamic parameters are computed to offer insights into meso-erythritol-water interactions. Results demonstrate that meso-erythritol concentration significantly impacts dielectric constants, relaxation times, and hydration properties, revealing complex solvation dynamics influenced by hydrogen bonding. The empirically obtained static dielectric constants exhibit a strong correlation with the theoretical predictions, thereby substantiating the validity of the Alenka Luzar hydrogen-bonding model within this framework. The meso-erythritol exhibits favorable chemical and physical properties due to its molecular structure and extensive hydrogen bonding capacity.