Abstract
We report on the direct measurement of the molecular diffusion coefficients of water confined to purified bovine nuchal ligament elastin by high resolution qโspace 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^โ6^ cm^2^/s that varies inversely with the diffusion time and is seen to reduce near 37ยฐC. The component with higher mobility has a diffusion coefficient reminiscent of free water but is observed to also behave similarly at 37ยฐC. From our experimental data we extract the surfaceโtoโvolume ratio of pores within elastin and associated changes as a function of temperature. ยฉ 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 87: 352โ359, 2007.
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