Vibrational spectra and normal coordinate analysis of p-cresol and its deuterated analogs

I.r. and Raman spectra of p-cresol and its seven deuterated analogs were investigated in dilute solutions of hydrophobic solvents. Assignments of the observed i.r. and Raman bands were made on the basis of isotopic frequency shifts, Raman polarization properties, i.r. intensifies and normal coordinate calculations. The calculated normal frequencies are in good agreement with the experimental ones: the average error below 1700 cm⁻¹ is 3.8 cm⁻¹ for 164 in-plane vibrations and 3.3 cm⁻¹ for 59 out-of-plane vibrations. The calculated vibrational modes may be useful in analysing the vibrational spectra of tyrosine. It is suggested that several doublets due to Fermi resonance and a trio of Raman bands in the 1260-1160 cm⁻¹ region are potential probes for the micro-environments of tyrosine side chains in proteins.