L-glutamine: Dynamical properties investigation by means of INS, IR, RAMAN, 1H NMR and DFT techniques

Abstract

Vibrational spectra of L-glutamine in the solid state were studied using the inelastic neutron scattering (INS), infrared (IR), Raman and 1H NMR spectroscopy techniques. DFT calculation using CASTEP code with the periodic boundary conditions was used to determine and describe the normal modes in the vibrational spectra of pure L-glutamine. An excellent agreement between the calculated and experimental INS, IR and Raman data has been found. Bands assigned to the stretching vibrations of the NH3+ group in hydrogen bonds are observed at 2400, 2618 and 2619cm−1, while the NH3+ torsion vibration mode is observed at 441cm−1. The band at 2041cm−1 is assigned to combinations of the NH3+ bending symmetry vibration and the CO2- rocking vibration and can be used as an “indicator band” for the identification of the NH3+ groups in amino acid. For the L-glutamine an activation energy needed for the NH3+ group reorientation was obtained as 7.4kcal/mol. It was found, that the combination three spectroscopic methods (INS, IR and Raman) with calculations for the crystal state proved to be an effective tool to investigate dynamical properties of amino acid crystals.