Normal coordinate analysis and vibrational spectra of 9-?-D-arabinofuranosyladenine hydrochloride (ara-A.HCl)

Abstract

The vibrational spectra of a synthetic purine nucleoside with known antiviral activity, 9-β-D-arabino-furanosyladenine hydrochloride (ara-A.HCl) are reported. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectra were recorded in the 4000-30 cm−1 spectral region. The harmonic frequencies and potential energy distributions (PED) of the vibrational modes of ara-A.HCI were calculated by two different methods: a classical molecular mechanics method and a semiempirical molecular orbital (MO) method, PM3. The results of both computational methods, based on the Wilson GF method, are compared with observed spectra, and an assignment of the vibrational modes of ara-A.HCl is proposed on the basis of the potential energy distributions (PED). It is found that the wavenumbers can be calculated with remarkable accuracy (≈1% deviation in most cases), with the classical mechanics method, by transferring a sufficiently large set of available harmonic force constants, thus permitting a reliable assignment. The semiempirical MO method, PM3, is found to be useful for the assignment of experimental frequencies although it is less accurate (≈10% deviation). IR intensities calculated by this method did not coincide with the experimental values. Certain out-of-plane vibrations in the base, not reported in previous studies, have been observed. The performance of both methods was related to the crystallographic and ab initio data available. Previous normal coordinate calculations for the adenine base and the nucleoside 5′-dGMP are compared with our results and discussed, in relation to the crystal structure of Ara-A.HCl.