Ultrafast Phenomena

Collective vibrational modes in biological molecules investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

  1. M. Walther1,
  2. P. Plochocka2,
  3. B. Fischer1,
  4. H. Helm1,*,
  5. P. Uhd Jepsen1,*

Article first published online: 9 MAY 2002

DOI: 10.1002/bip.10106

Issue

Biopolymers

Biopolymers

Special Issue: Selections from the 9th European Conference on the Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules

Volume 67, Issue 4-5, pages 310–313, 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Walther, M., Plochocka, P., Fischer, B., Helm, H. and Uhd Jepsen, P. (2002), Collective vibrational modes in biological molecules investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. Biopolymers, 67: 310–313. doi: 10.1002/bip.10106

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Molecular and Optical Physics, Fakultät für Physik, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 19, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany

  2. 2

    Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, Hoza 69, 00-681 Warsaw, Poland

*Department of Molecular and Optical Physics, Fakultät für Physik, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 19, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 MAY 2002
  2. Article first published online: 9 MAY 2002
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 7 NOV 2001
  4. Manuscript Revised: 19 OCT 2001
  5. Manuscript Received: 8 SEP 2001

Funded by

  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Grant Numbers: SFB 276, TP C14

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Keywords:

  • benzoic acid;
  • salicylic acid;
  • aspirin;
  • low-frequency vibrational modes;
  • terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Abstract

We present well-resolved absorption spectra of biological molecules in the far-IR (FIR) spectral region recorded by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). As an illustrative example we discuss the absorption spectra of benzoic acid, its monosubstitutes salicylic acid (2-hydroxy-benzoic acid), 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) in the spectral region between 18 and 150 cm−1. The spectra exhibit distinct features originating from low-frequency vibrational modes caused by intra- or intermolecular collective motion and lattice modes. Due to the collective origin of the observed modes the absorption spectra are highly sensitive to the overall structure and configuration of the molecules, as well as their environment. The THz-TDS procedure can provide a direct fingerprint of the molecular structure or conformational state of a compound. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Biospectroscopy) 67: 310–313, 2002

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