Theoretical calculations of infrared absorption, vibrational circular dichroism, and two-dimensional vibrational spectra of acetylproline in liquids water and chloroform

Infrared absorption, vibrational circular dichroism, and two-dimensional infrared pump-probe and photon echo spectra of acetylproline solutions are theoretically calculated and directly compared with experiments. In order to quantitatively determine interpeptide interaction-induced amide I mode frequency shifts, high-level quantum chemistry calculations were performed. The solvatochromic amide I mode frequency shift and fluctuation were taken into account by carrying out molecular dynamics simulations of acetylproline dissolved in liquids water and chloroform and by using the extrapolation method developed recently. We first studied correlation time scales of the two amide I vibrational frequency fluctuations, cross correlation between the two fluctuating local mode frequencies, ensemble averaged conformations of the acetylproline molecule in liquids water and chloroform. The corresponding conformations of the acetylproline in liquids water and chloroform are close to the ideal 3(10) helix and the C(7) structure, respectively. A few methods proposed to determine the angle between the two transition dipoles associated with the amide I vibrations were tested and their limitations are discussed.