Journal of Mokculur Liqui.&, 45(1990) 231-236 Elsevier Science Publishers zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFED B.V., Amsterdam- PrintedinTheNetherlands 231 zyxwvutsrqp PROTON MAGNETIC RESONANCE RELAXATION STUDIES IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF ALKALI HALIDES AND FRUCTOSE A. SRINIVASA RAO, A. SUNDARAMOORTHY AND V. ARULMOZHI Raman School of Physics, Pondicherry University, JIPMER Campus, Pondicherry 605 006 (India) (Received October 5, 1989) ABSTRACT The proton magnetic resonance (PMR) spin-lattice relaxation times (T ) were measured in aqueous solution of fructose. T1 was found to'decrease with increase of fructose concentration. This result is interpreted as due to molecular association between the fructose and water molecules. The relaxation times T were also measured in aqueous solutions of alkali halides containing the sugar fructose to study the influence of this sugar on the relaxation times. The results are interpreted in terms of structure making and breaking properties of alkali ions. INTRODUCTION Recent ultrasonic velocity studies (ref. 1) in aqueous solutions of sugars containing alkali halides revealed interesting features on the nature of molecular interaction between constituents in these solutions. Proton magnetic resonance (PMR) relaxation studies (ref. 2) in aqueous solutions of sodium and potassium chlorides indicate that sodium ions are structure making in the sense that their effect on a solution of water molecules is a restriction of their overall motional freedom. The potassium ions are termed as structure breaking implying that their effect in aqueous solutions is to increase the freedom of movement of water molecules. To obtain additional information on the molecular processes in aqueous solutions of fructose, the proton magnetic resonance spin-lattice relaxation times T1 were measured in the above solutions as relaxation times (T1) are very sensitive to molecular environment. The spin-lattice relaxation times T1 were also measured in aqueous solutions of sodium and potassium chlorides containing fructose. The results of the study are reported in this paper. 0167-7322/90/$03.50 0 1990 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.