Rare-gas matrix shift calculations of CO Cameron bands

Using both dispersive and inductive interactions, calculations have been made to account for the matrix red-shifts of the Cameron band emissions of CO(a³ Π → X¹Σ⁺) isolated in Nc, Ar and Kr matrices at 4.8 K. Our experimental results along with the matrix shift calculations led us to conclude that CO a³Π forms a bond with the rare-gas atoms whose strength was found to increase from Nc to Kr.     

Vibrational spectrum of CO2− in an argon matrix

Absorptions which appear near 1600 cm^?1 on co-deposition at 14 K of Ar:CO₂ mixtures with an alkali metal have been assigned to ν₃ of an M⁺...CO₂^? ion pair, with an OCO valence angle near 130°. Molecular aggregates contribute significantly to the observed spectrum.     

Ultrafast structural dynamics of photochromic indolylfulgimides studied by vibrational spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The structural dynamics of the ring-opening reaction in a photochromic indolylfulgimide, a reversible, ultrafast photoswitch, is investigated by ultra-broadband time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy. The experimentally observed vibrational modes of the indolylfulgimide photoisomers C and E are assigned to normal modes with the help of DFT calculations. A complete evaluation of the observed vibrational dynamics including excited-state vibrational modes is used to characterize the reaction path and the cooling behavior of the photoswitch.     

Vaporization energy change and vibrational frequency shift in substituted mono-halo-benzenes

Direct linear relation exists between the reduced vaporization energy change (H _v /RT _B ) of benzene and its homologues, C₆H₅X (X=F, Cl, Br, I) and the X-sensitive dimensionless frequency (hcv/kT _B ) at their respective normal boiling point (T _B ) temperatures.The financial assistance of the National Research Council of Canada, the Graduate Fellowship (J.B.B.), the University of British Columbia, and the NRC Bursaries (H.C.H., R.G.O.) are gratefully acknowledged.     

Solution conformation of tripeptides by NMR spectroscopy and force-field calculations

The solution conformation of three linear tripeptides Boc-Ala-Val-Val-OMe1, Boc-Ala-Pro-Val-OMe2, and Boc-Ala-(D)Pro-Val-OMe3 was studied by NMR spectroscopy and accompanying force-field calculations. In one case,2, as preferred conformation the-turnall trans conformer was found.     

The IR spectrum of formic acid in an argon matrix

A new method of preparation of matrix-isolated molecules of formic acid at low temperatures has been developed. A set of experimental frequencies and intensities of the IR spectrum of monomer molecules of formic acid isolated in a low temperature argon matrix has been obtained. It is shown on the basis of analysis of the IR spectrum that the new method eliminates association and decomposition of molecules of the acid during preparation of the sample.     

Electronic coherences and vibrational wave-packets in single molecules studied with femtosecond phase-controlled spectroscopy

Employing femtosecond pulse-shaping techniques we investigate ultrafast, coherent and incoherent dynamics in single molecules at room temperature. In first experiments single molecules are excited into their purely electronic 0-0 transition by phase-locked double-pulse sequences with pulse durations of 75 fs and 20 nm spectral band width. Their femtosecond kinetics can then be understood in terms of a 2-level system and modelled with the optical Bloch equations. We find that we observe the coherence decay in single molecules, and the purely electronic dephasing times can be retrieved directly in the time domain. In addition, the Rabi-frequencies and thus the transition dipole moments of single molecules are determined from these data. Upon excitation of single molecules into a vibrational level of the electronically excited state also incoherent intra-molecular vibrational relaxation is recorded. Increasing the spectral band width of the excitation pulses to up to 120 nm (resulting in a transform-limited pulse width of 15 fs) coherent superpositions of excited state vibrational modes, i.e. vibrational wave packets, are excited. The wave-packet oscillations in the excited state potential energy surface are followed in time by a phase-controlled pump-probe scheme, which permits to record wave packet interference, and to determine the energies of vibrational modes and their coupling strengths to the electronic transition.     

Adsorption of SDS and PEG on calcium fluoride studied by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from aqueous solution onto a calcium fluoride substrate (CaF(2)), in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) of different molecular weights, has been investigated using the interface specific nonlinear optical technique of sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Spectra of adsorbed SDS (in the C-H stretching region) were recorded at the surface of a CaF(2) prism in contact with SDS solutions at concentrations up to the cmc (8 mM) of the pure surfactant and in contact with binary solutions containing SDS and PEG with molecular weights from 400 to 12 000. In contrast with SFG spectra from the same combinations of surfactant and polymer on a hydrophobic surface, there was no evidence of spectra arising from the actual polymer adsorbed on CaF(2) at any polymer molecular weight either in the absence or presence of surfactant. However, there was indirect evidence for the presence of adsorbed polymer from changes in the SDS SFG spectra in the presence of polymer compared with spectra when the polymer was absent. The SFG spectra of SDS at 0.8 mM were closely similar to each other at all polymer molecular weights and different from the spectra in the absence of the polymer. The spectral differences between the polymer present and polymer absent was much smaller when the solution concentration of surfactant was 8 mM.     

Molecular interactions of proteins and peptides at interfaces studied by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Interfacial peptides and proteins are critical in many biological processes and thus are of interest to various research fields. To study these processes, surface sensitive techniques are required to completely describe different interfacial interactions intrinsic to many complicated processes. Sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has been developed into a powerful tool to investigate these interactions and mechanisms of a variety of interfacial peptides and proteins. It has been shown that SFG has intrinsic surface sensitivity and the ability to acquire conformation, orientation, and ordering information about these systems. This paper reviews recent studies on peptide/protein-substrate interactions, peptide/protein-membrane interactions, and protein complexes at interfaces and demonstrates the ability of SFG on unveiling the molecular pictures of complicated interfacial biological processes.     

Protein deformation of lipid hybrid bilayer membranes studied by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Structural deformations of lipid hybrid bilayer membranes induced by signal peptideless (SPL) proteins have been studied for the first time using the inherently surface specific nonlinear optical technique of sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy. Specifically, deformations of 1,2-distearoylphosphatidylglycerol(DSPG) membranes induced by interaction with FGF-1, a SPL protein which is released asa function of cellular stress through a nonclassical pathway, have been investigated. FGF-1 was found to induce lipid alkyl chain deformations in previously highly ordered DSPG membranes at the extremely low concentration of 1 nM at 60 degrees C. The deformation process was shown to exhibit a degree of reversibility upon removal of the protein by rinsing with buffer solution.     

Potential-dependent vibrational spectroscopy of solvent molecules at the Pt(111) electrode in a water/acetonitrile mixture studied by sum frequency generation

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectra of D(2)O and/or acetonitrile (CH(3)CN) on a Pt(111) single-crystal electrode were obtained as a function of applied potential in a 5 mol % water/acetonitrile mixed solvent with different 0.1 molar MSO(3)CF(3) salts (M = H(+), Li(+), Na(+), K(+), and Cs(+)). The results provide a very specific model for the composition of the inner Helmholtz layer as a function of potential and surface charge. Acetonitrile dominates the inner layer with the CN group directed toward the metal at potentials where the metal has a positive charge. As the surface becomes negatively charged, the acetonitrile orientation flips 180 degrees, with the CH(3) group pointing toward the surface. At even more negative surface charge, D(2)O displaces acetonitrile from the inner layer and is the predominant molecule on the surface. Here water is present as an oriented molecule with the oxygen end pointing toward the metal. The potential (and surface charge) where water is the dominant molecule in the inner Helmholtz layer is determined by the solvation energy of the cation.     

On the correlation between bond-length change and vibrational frequency shift in halogen-bonded complexes

The C-Hal (Hal = Cl, Br, or I) bond-length change and the corresponding vibrational frequency shift of the C-Hal stretch upon the C-Hal···Y (Y is the electron donor) halogen bond formation have been determined by using density functional theory computations. Plots of the C-Hal bond-length change versus the corresponding vibrational frequency shift of the C-Hal stretch all give straight lines. The coefficients of determination range from 0.94366 to 0.99219, showing that the correlation between the C-Hal bond-length change and the corresponding frequency shift is very good in the halogen-bonded complexes. The possible effects of vibrational coupling, computational method, and anharmonicity on the bond-length change-frequency shift correlation are discussed in detail.     

Distorted wave calculations of vibrational excitation in CO2+He and CO2+Ar collisions

Cross sections for the vibrational excitation and relaxation of CO₂ through collisions with He and Ar atoms have been computed using several approximate methods. They all employ the infinite-order sudden approximation for the rotational motion. The vibrational motion is treated using both exact close-coupling and distorted wave techniques. The latter approximate method permits the extension of the calculation to much higher collision energies. The validity of the distorted wave approximation is examined and is shown to be particularly good for the dominant inelastic processes in He+CO₂, leading to errors of the order of 7%. These become progressively greater for smaller cross sections. The excitation cross sections are reported for several vibrational transitions over an extended energy range up to 1.36 eV.     

Molecular structure of biphenyl in an argon matrix

The infrared spectrum of biphenyl was measured in an Ar matrix at 20 K. A comparison of the results with the spectra of this molecule in the solid liquid states shows that the structure of biphenyl in the matrix is similar to that in the liquid state, that is, the molecule is non-planar.     

Laser studies of vibrational energy transfer and relaxation of CO trapped in solid neon and argon

The infrared emission of CO trapped in solid Ne and Ar is observed at low temperature. The first vibrational level of ¹²C¹⁶O is excited by a Q-switched frequency doubled CO₂ laser. The emission spectrum consists of several lines arising from upper vibrational levels of ¹²C¹⁶O and also of ¹³C¹⁶O and ¹²C¹⁸O which are present in natural abundance. An interpretation is proposed which is based on the assumption that long range dipole—dipole interaction is the main physical process involved in these experiments. Resonance energy transfer produces an energy migration among ¹²C¹⁶O molecules without any change in vibrational populations. Phonon assisted energy transfer takes place between vibrational levels of the various isotopic species present in the solution. In order to satisfy the resonance condition a phonon is emitted or absorbed whose energy compensates for the energy mismatch between the transitions in each interacting molecule due to isotopic effect and or vibrational anharmonicity. The range of this process is greatly extended by energy migration. At the low phonon bath temperature phonon emission is much more probable than phonon absorption. So a strong excitation of upper vibrational levels with in some cases population inversions is observed.Molecular impurities act as efficient quenching centers even at very low concentration. When highly purified samples are used, the fluorescence decay time is found to be 20.6 ms in Ne and 14.5 ms in Ar and does not significantly depend upon concentration and temperature. It is concluded that radiationless relaxation is unimportant.     

Basis set effects and the choice of reference geometry in ab initio calculations of vibrational spectra

Tatewaki and Huzinaga's [J. Comput. Chem. 1 , 205 (1980)] basis sets, constructed to minimize superposition error, were used to calculate infrared (IR) frequencies and intensities. They were found inferior to Pople bases such as 3–21G and 6–31G*. The question of whether a theoretical vibrational spectrum should be computed at experimental or theoretical bond lengths was also investigated. If the magnitude of the correlation energy increases with bond length, Hartree-Fock bond lengths are expected to be shorter than experimental, and frequencies computed there will be higher than those computed at experimental lengths. Conversely, if this magnitude decreases with R, computed lengths should be longer than experimental and should give lower computed frequencies.     

Blue shift in X-H stretching frequency of molecules due to confinement

The effect of spatial confinement on the properties of isoelectronic molecules HF, H2O, NH3, and CH4 has been studied by encapsulating them in a C60 fullerene cage. Second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theoretical (MP2) calculations suggest that all the guest species are stable inside the fullerene cage. This stabilization arises from the dispersion interaction between the guest and the host. It is shown that the excitation energy (Esigma*-Esigma) for the X-H bond increases and that there is a blue shift in the stretching frequencies due to confinement.