These two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy techniques provide a new avenue to directly visualize both hydrogen bond partners, said Andrei Tokmakoff, the labs primary investigator. They have the spectral content and bandwidth to really interrogate huge parts of the vibrational spectrum of molecules. Its opened up the ability to look at how very different types of vibrations on different molecules interact with one another. Tokmakoff and his colleagues sought to use two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy to directly characterize structural parameters such as intermolecular distances and hydrogen-bonding configurations, as this information can be encoded in intermolecular cross-peaks that spectroscopy detects between solute-solvent vibrations. You pluck on the bonds of one molecule and watch how it influences the other, Tokmakoff said. In our experiment, youre basically plucking on both because theyre so strongly bound. Hydrogen bonds are typically perceived as the attractive force between the slightly negative and slightly positive ends of neutrally-charged molecules, such as water. While water stands apart with its unique polar properties, hydrogen bonds can form between a wide range of molecules containing electronegative atoms and range from weakly polar to nearly covalent in strength. Hydrogen bonding plays a key role in the action of large, biologically-relevant molecules and is often an important element in the discovery of new pharmaceuticals.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 14:11:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015