Exploring the conformational energy landscape of glassy disaccharides by cross polarization magic angle spinning C13 nuclear magnetic resonance and numerical simulations. II. Enhanced molecular flexibility in amorphous trehalose

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This paper uses chemical shift surfaces to simulate experimental C13 cross polarization magic angle spinning spectra for amorphous solid state disaccharides, paying particular attention to the glycosidic linkage atoms in trehalose, sucrose, and lactose. The combination of molecular mechanics with density functional theory/gauge invariant atomic orbital ab initio methods provides reliable structural information on the conformational distribution in the glass. The results are interpreted in terms of an enhanced flexibility that trehalose possesses in the amorphous solid state, at least on the time scale of C13 nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. Implications of these findings for the fragility of trehalose glass and bioprotectant action are discussed.