Exploring Hydrogen Bonding in Ethylene Glycol \2013 Water Mixtures at 3 Different Concentrations

Ethylene glycol (EG) is used in the industry as a precursor in polyester fibres production, as a preservative in the cosmetic industry and as a cryoprotectant solvent, when mixed with water. The presence of EG in an aqueous mixture lowers its freezing point and increases its boiling point. Due to the presence of hydroxyl groups in EG structure, the molecules within this liquid form hydrogen bonding. Proposed investigation of these networks will enrich the existing understanding of the structural properties of this industrially important liquid. We also plan to probe the effect of presence of water molecules on EG hydrogen bonding network. Three different concentrations will be tested to gain insight into a correlation between macroscopic properties, which vary with different EG concentration and the local ordering.

乙二醇（Ethylene glycol，EG）在工业领域可用作聚酯纤维生产的前驱体，亦可作为防腐剂应用于化妆品工业，还可与水混合后作为低温保护溶剂。当乙二醇存在于水性混合体系中时，会降低体系的冰点并升高其沸点。由于乙二醇分子结构中含有羟基，该液态物质的分子间可形成氢键。本研究拟对这类氢键网络展开探究，以期深化对这一具有重要工业价值的液态物质结构特性的现有认知。我们还计划探究水分子的存在对乙二醇氢键网络的影响。本研究将测试三种不同浓度的混合体系，以阐明随乙二醇浓度变化的宏观性质与局部有序结构之间的关联。