부산대학교 도서관

In this work we report on the direct measurement of the molecular diffusion coefficients of water, confined to purified bovine nuchal ligament elastin, by high resolution q-space NMR imaging. The experimental data indicate that water trapped within an elastin fiber has two distinguishable molecular diffusion coefficients. The component with the slowest mobility has a diffusion coefficient on the order of 10-6 cm2/s that varies inversely with the diffusion time and is seen to reduce near 37 °C. The component with higher mobility has a diffusion coefficient reminiscent of free water but is observed to also behave similarly at 37 °C. From our experimental data we extract the surface-to-volume ratio of pores within elastin and associated changes as a function of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]