Synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy: vacuum ultraviolet irradiation does not damage protein integrity

Synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopy is an emerging technique for sensitive determination of protein secondary structures and for monitoring of conformational changes. An important issue for its adoption as a useful technique is whether the high-intensity low-wavelength vacuum ultraviolet radiation in the SRCD chemically damages proteins. In this paper, using horse myoglobin as a test sample, it is shown that extensive irradiation in the SRCD does not produce any change in the chemical nature of the protein as detected by either SDS gel electrophoresis or mass spectrometry. In addition, no changes in the protein secondary structure are detectable from the SRCD spectra after extensive exposure to the SRCD beam.     

Surface-enhanced and normal stokes and anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Surface enhancement factors of at least 10(12) for the Raman scattering of single-walled carbon nanotubes in contact with fractal silver colloidal clusters result in measuring very narrow Raman bands corresponding to the homogeneous linewidth of the tangential C-C stretching mode in semiconducting nanotubes. Normal and surface-enhanced Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman spectra are discussed in the framework of selective resonant Raman contributions of semiconducting or metallic nanotubes to the Stokes or anti-Stokes spectra, respectively, of the population of vibrational levels due to the extremely strong surface-enhanced Raman process, and of phonon-phonon interactions.     

1,3-Di(Ferrocenylmethyl)Imidazolium and 1-Ferrocenylmethyl-3-Alkylimidazolium Salts: A High Yield and Facile Synthesis

We have developed a rapid facile synthesis of 1-ferrocenyl-3-alkyl and 1,3-di(ferrocenylmethyl)imidazolium salts. The imidazolium salts are formed in excellent yields.