Guanidinium cation and urea are often used as protein denaturants because of their strong hydrogen-bond ability. A deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl, Tm = 458 K) and urea (U, Tm = 407 K) with a molar ratio of [U]/[GuHCl] = 2 is a liquid medium that has the potential to denature proteins and dissolve biomaterials. However, heating is essential when using 2U-GuHCl as a liquid solvent. This is because the eutectic temperature of this DES is 331 K, which is higher than room temperature. This heating is a serious problem when dissolving solutes with low thermal stability. We focused on two urea derivatives, N-methylurea (Um, Tm = 378 K) and N-hydroxyurea (Uh, Tm = 414 K), to obtain GuHCl-based DESs in liquid state at room temperature. Since all of the GuHCl-based DESs containing Um molecules were fluid at room temperature, the Um molecule is a candidate hydrogen bond donor for fluidizing GuHCl-based DESs. This paper presents experimental results of binary and ternary DESs composed of GuHCl, U, Um, and Uh. In addition, preparation methods for general DESs are outlined.
View PDF (Member Only)
Keywords:deep eutectic solvent, guanidine hydrochloride, urea, N-methylurea, N-hydroxyurea, molecular replacement
Publication Date: 2024-01-25