CN Stretch Research Articles

Ultrafast Dynamics and Liquid Structure in Mesoporous Silica: Propagation of Surface Effects in a Polar Aprotic Solvent.

Enhancement of processes ranging from gas sorption to ion conduction in a liquid can be substantial upon nanoconfinement. Here, the dynamics of a polar aprotic solvent, 1-methylimidazole (MeIm), in mesoporous silica (2.8, 5.4, and 8.3 nm pore diameters) were examined using femtosecond infrared vibrational spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations of a dilute probe, the selenocyanate (SeCN-) anion. The long vibrational lifetime and sensitivity of the CN stretch enabled a comprehensive investigation of the relatively slow time scales and subnanometer distance dependences of the confined dynamics. Because MeIm does not readily donate hydrogen bonds, its interactions in the hydrophilic silanol pores differ more from the bulk than those of water confined in the same mesopores, resulting in greater structural order and more dramatic slowing of dynamics. The extent of surface effects was quantified by modified two-state models used to fit three spatially averaged experimental observables: vibrational lifetime, orientational relaxation, and spectral diffusion. The length scales and the models (smoothed step, exponential decay, and simple step) describing the transitions between the distinctive shell behavior at the surface and the bulk-like behavior at the pore interior were compared to those of water. The highly nonuniform distributions of the SeCN- probe and antiparallel layering of MeIm revealed by the simulations guided the interpretation of the results and development of the analytical models. The results illustrate the importance of electrostatic effects and H-bonding interactions in the behavior of confined liquids.

Substituent Effects on the Vibrational Properties of the CN Stretch Mode of Aromatic Nitriles: IR Probes Useful for Time-resolved IR Spectroscopy.

Developing ideal IR probes is essential to understand the structure and dynamics of biomolecules with time-resolved IR spectroscopies and imaging techniques. Especially, nitrile (CN) group has recently been proposed to serve as IR probes of the local environment of proteins. Herein, we investigated the effect of a substituent on the vibrational properties of the benzonitrile. The electron-donating and withdrawing character of p-substituent on benzonitrile are expected to modulate the vibrational frequency, molar extinction coefficient, and vibrational lifetime of CN probe. FT-IR revealed the positive correlation between electron-donating character and the molar extinction coefficient of CN stretch mode. Infrared pump-probe (IR-PP) measurements showed that the vibrational lifetime of CN stretch mode exhibits a relatively weak correlation with the electron-donating strength. Among the investigated samples, 4-dimethylamino benzonitrile with the strongest electron-donating strength shows enhanced absorption and extended vibrational lifetime. Utilizing substituent effects will be a practical strategy to improve the performance of the IR probe.

Long Vibrational Lifetime R-Selenocyanate Probes for Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy: Properties and Synthesis.

Ultrafast infrared vibrational spectroscopy is widely used for the investigation of dynamics in systems from water to model membranes. Because the experimental observation window is limited to a few times the probe's vibrational lifetime, a frequent obstacle for the measurement of a broad time range is short molecular vibrational lifetimes (typically a few to tens of picoseconds). Five new long-lifetime aromatic selenocyanate vibrational probes have been synthesized and their vibrational properties characterized. These probes are compared to commercial phenyl selenocyanate. The vibrational lifetimes range between ∼400 and 500 ps in complex solvents, which are some of the longest room-temperature vibrational lifetimes reported to date. In contrast to vibrations that are long-lived in simple solvents such as CCl4, but become much shorter in complex solvents, the probes discussed here have ∼400 ps lifetimes in complex solvents and even longer in simple solvents. One of them has a remarkable lifetime of 1235 ps in CCl4. These probes have a range of molecular sizes and geometries that can make them useful for placement into different complex materials due to steric reasons, and some of them have functionalities that enable their synthetic incorporation into larger molecules, such as industrial polymers. We investigated the effect of a range of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing para-substituents on the vibrational properties of the CN stretch. The probes have a solvent-independent linear relationship to the Hammett substituent parameter when evaluated with respect to the CN vibrational frequency and the ipso 13C NMR chemical shift.

Changing Vibration Coupling Strengths of Liquid Acetonitrile with an Angle-Tuned Etalon.

This work is the first report on nonzero molecular vibration-vibration coupling in an infrared cavity-vibration experiment. Vibration-vibration coupling strength is determined as a cavity mode of parallel spaced mirrors (etalon mode or fringe) is angle-tuned in the region between two vibrations of liquid acetonitrile which are Fermi coupled, namely, a CN stretch dominated vibration and a nearby combination band dominated by the symmetric CH3 bend and C-C stretch. All other infrared cavity-vibration work to date involving more than one vibration has used a value of zero for vibration-vibration coupling; however, this work starts with Fermi coupled vibrations and reveals that there are changes in the vibration-vibration coupling and cavity-vibration couplings as the cavity mode is angle-tuned between the interacting vibrations. The ability to change fundamental vibrational dynamics within a cavity is an exciting result which helps to build a foundation for understanding molecular vibrational dynamics in parallel plate etalon cavities.

Single-photon upconversion via hot-band absorption and assessment of the laser cooling effect of tricarbocyanine dyes

A series of new tricarbocyanine near-infrared (NIR) dyes is demonstrated which are able for a single-photon vibronic-assisted anti-Stokes luminescence with a large, up to 147 nm (225 meV), anti-Stokes shift of the excitation energy. It is shown that quantum yield of the anti-Stokes emission depends on both the dye substituents, which bear different charge, and the energy of the excitation light. It is demonstrated that higher excitation energy captures electrons from the deeper vibronic levels and thus yields brighter anti-Stokes emission. It was found that skeletal CNC in-plain bending deformation of the chromophore chain with an activation energy of 55±8 meV is mainly responsible for supplying the hot band with electrons, even if the hot-band absorption occurs from the higher vibronic level corresponding to the CN stretch (~1360 cm−1). It is shown that dye solutions with the brighter anti-Stokes emission possess a better laser cooling effect, which is dependent on population of the hot band and reaches up to 1 K at solution temperature of 80 °C.

Evaluation of nitrogenous pyrolysates by Py–GC/MS for impacts of different proteolytic enzymes on corn distillers solubles

The effects of enzymes like alcalase, papain and trypsin generates protein hydrolysates (PH-Ala, PH-Pap and PH-Tryp, respectively) from protein fraction (PF) of corn distillers solubles, were evaluated nitrogenous pyrolysate compounds (PyCs). The differences in absorbance values of amides (I, II, II, A, and B) were distinct to type of enzymatic treatments to PF. The nitrogenous PyCs comprised approximately 12, 21, 16, and 23% from fast pyrolysis of PF, PH-Ala, PH-Pap and PH-Tryp, respectively. Protein hydrolysates from enzyme treatment (PH-Ala, PH-Pap, and PH-Tryp) accumulated N-heterocyclics, amines & amides, and nitriles (10.78 ± 0.72, 8.29 ± 0.30, 9.66 ± 0.83) as the most abundant component and their profiles are further disclosed for these three classes as hexahydro-3-(phenylmethyl) pyrrolo [1,2 a] pyrazine-1,4-dione from PF, PH-Ala, PH-Tryp; bis(2-ethylhexyl) amine, n-butylidenebutylamine, N-butyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinamine, 6-acetamido-n-(5-cyanopentyl) hexanamide from PH-Ala, PH-Pap, PH-Tryp; and phenylacetonitrile & derivatives, phenyl isocyanate from PF, PHs, respectively. The diketopiperazines (DKPs) such as cyclo (Pro-Gly) and cyclo (Phe-Pro) were denoted with area% of 2.43, 7.55, and 4.72 from respective PF, PH-Ala, and PH-Tryp. The out-of-plane and in-plane bending of aromatic CH linkage, NO stretch, NH bend, CO stretch, CN stretch, and saturated aliphatic CH stretch marked nitrogenous PyCs. The findings suggest indicator molecules with monitor of hydrolytic pathways for future value-addition to PF.

The effects of warming and soil chemistry on bacterial community structure in Arctic tundra soils

Soil microbial communities in the Arctic play a critical role in regulating the global carbon (C) cycle. Vast amounts of C are stored in northern high latitude soils, and rising temperatures in the Arctic threaten to thaw permafrost, making relatively inaccessible C sources more available for mineralization by soil microbes. Few studies have characterized how microbial community structure responds to thawing permafrost in the context of varying soil chemistries associated with contrasting tundra landscapes. We subjected active layer and permafrost soils from upland and lowland tundra sites on the North Slope of Alaska to a soil-warming incubation experiment and compared soil bacterial community profiles (obtained by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) before and after incubation. The influence of soil composition (characterized by mid-infrared [MIR] spectroscopy) on bacterial community structure and class abundance was analyzed using redundancy and correlation analyses. We found increased abundances of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes [Sphingobacteriia] post incubation, particularly in permafrost soils. The categorical descriptors site and soil layer had the most explanatory power in our predictive models of bacterial community structure, highlighting the close relationship between soil bacteria and the soil environment. Specific soil chemical attributes characterizing the soil environments that were found to be the best predictors included MIR spectral bands associated with inorganic C, silicates, amide II (CN stretch), and carboxylics (C–O stretch), and MIR peak ratios representing C substrate quality. Overall, these results further characterize soil bacterial community shifts that may occur as frozen environments with limited access to C sources, as is found in undisturbed permafrost, transition to warmer and more C-available environments, as is predicted in thawing permafrost due to climate change.

Persistence and Amalgamation Types of CN Stretching Mode in Oxidation Process of Prussian Blue Analogues

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) shows a cyano-bridged three-dimensional (3D) transition metal network, –M–NC–Fe–CN–M–NC–Fe–CN–M– (M = Co and Mn). Here, by in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy, we inve...

Amorphous polymer dynamics and free volume element size distributions from ultrafast IR spectroscopy

A method for measuring the size and size probability distribution of free volume regions in polymeric materials using ultrafast infrared (IR) polarization-selective pump-probe experiments is presented. Measurements of the ultrafast dynamics of a vibrational probe (the CN stretch of phenyl selenocyanate) in poly(methyl methacrylate) show that the probe dynamics are highly confined. The degree of confinement was found to be both time-dependent and dependent on the vibrational frequency of the probe molecule. The experiments demonstrate that different vibrational frequencies correspond to distinct subensembles of probe molecules that have different dynamic properties determined by their local structural environments. By combining the degree of dynamical confinement with the molecular size of the probe molecule, the free volume element size probability distribution was determined and found to be in good agreement with the best established experimental measure of free volume. The relative probability of a free volume element size is determined by the amplitude of the nitrile absorption spectrum at the frequency of the measurement. The inhomogeneous broadening of the spectrum was linked to the vibrational Stark effect, which permits site selectivity. The observed dynamics at each frequency were then associated with a different size free volume element and distinct local electric field. The multiple timescales observed in the pump-probe experiments were connected to local structural fluctuations of the free volume elements.

Effects of pore size on water dynamics in mesoporous silica.

Water confined in mesoporous silica plays a central role in its many uses ranging from gas sorption to nanoconfined chemical reactions. Here, the influence of pore diameter (2.5-5.4 nm) on water hydrogen bond (H-bond) dynamics in MCM41 and SBA15 mesoporous silicas is investigated using femtosecond infrared vibrational spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations on selenocyanate (SeCN-) anions dissolved in the pores. As shown recently, SeCN- spectral diffusion is a reliable probe of surrounding water H-bond structural motions. Additionally, the long CN stretch vibrational lifetime facilitates measurement of the full range of confined dynamics, which are much slower than in bulk water. The simulations shed light on quantitative details that are inaccessible from the spatially averaged observables. The dependence of SeCN- orientational relaxation and that of spectral diffusion on the distance from the silica interface are quantitatively described with an exponential decay and a smoothed step-function, respectively. The distance-dependence of both quantities is found to be independent of the diameter of the pores, and the spatial distribution of SeCN- is markedly non-uniform, reaching a maximum between the interface and the pore center. The results indicate that the commonly invoked two-state, or core-shell, model is a more appropriate description of spectral diffusion. Using these insights, we model the full time-dependence of the measured dynamics for all pore sizes and extract the "core" and "shell" dynamical correlation functions and SeCN- spatial probability distributions. The results are critically compared to those for water confined in reverse micelles.

Vibrational Spectroscopic and Computational Studies on Formamide Solutions of Alkali Metal Ions

Infrared (IR) spectra were measured for formamide (FA, HCONH2) solutions of Li(ClO4) and Na(ClO4). Both CN stretch and CO stretch bands of FA are observed to undergo upshifts in the presence of the metal ions. Quantum chemical calculations were performed for Li+(FA)n (n = 1–7) and Na+(FA)n (n = 1–8) complexes in order to model the metal ions in FA solutions. In previous Raman studies of the Li+ system, the so-called chelate configuration was assumed, in which the Li+ ion was put into the center of a ring FA dimer. However, the present calculations reveal that such a configuration is in conflict with the observed band shifts. The experimental IR spectra are reproduced by adopting appropriate isomers of Li+(FA)5 and Li+(FA)6 complexes, in which all FA molecules are coordinated to Li+ via the O atom, with a configuration such that the Li+ ion and NH2 group are on the same side of the CO bond. These complexes, especially Li+(FA)6, are also successful in replicating characteristic features observed in the previous Raman spectra. Similarly, an O-bound isomer of Na+(FA)6 is consistent with the experimental IR and Raman spectra of the Na+ system. A strong coupling among the CO oscillators of FA molecules is shown to be responsible for the upshifts of the νCO modes despite the coordination via the O atom.

Optical characterisation of cadmium doped Fe3O4 ferrofluids by co-precipitation method

Cadmium doped Fe3O4 ferrofluids were synthesised by coprecipitation method. The synthesized ferrofluids were characterized by various characterization techniques. The structural analysis was done using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was carried out for the prepared samples and optical studies were done using Ultra violet-visible spectroscopy. The nonlinear optical properties were studied using Z-Scan technique. The prepared sample exhibits visible magnetic properties. X-ray diffraction technique confirms the spinal structure of the ferrites. The band gap of the samples was determined from Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis reveals that the prepared samples are coated with the oleic acid and shows the peaks for OH Stretching, CN Stretching, CC Stretching, and NCO Stretching. The Z Scan reveals the cadmium concentration dependent nonlinear optical property of the prepared samples.

Dynamics of Water Molecules and Ions in Concentrated Lithium Chloride Solutions Probed with Ultrafast 2D IR Spectroscopy.

Water and ion dynamics in concentrated LiCl solutions were studied using ultrafast 2D IR spectroscopy with the methyl thiocyanate (MeSCN) CN stretch as the vibrational probe. The IR absorption spectrum of MeSCN has two peaks, one peak for water associated with the nitrogen lone pair of MeSCN (W) and the other peak corresponding to Li+ associated with the lone pair (L). To extract the spectral diffusion (structural dynamics) of W and L species, we developed a method that isolates the peak of interest by subtracting the 2D Gaussian proxies of multiple interfering peaks. Center line slope data (normalized frequency-frequency correlation function) for 2D bands from the W and L are fit with triexponential functions. The fastest component (1.1-1.6 ps) is assigned to local hydrogen bond length fluctuations. The intermediate timescale (∼4.0 ps) corresponds to the hydrogen bond network rearrangement. The slowest component decays in ∼40 ps and corresponds to ion pair and ion cluster dynamics. The very similar W and L spectral diffusion indicates that the motions of the water and ions are strongly coupled. Orientational relaxations of the W and L species were extracted using a new method to eliminate the effects of overlapping peaks. The results show that MeSCN bound to water undergoes orientational relaxation significantly faster than MeSCN bound to Li+. The orientational and spectral diffusion results are compared. A Stark coupling model is used to extract the root mean square average electric field caused by the ion clouds along the CN moiety as a function of concentration.

Ion-Molecule Complex Dissociation and Formation Dynamics in LiCl Aqueous Solutions from 2D IR Spectroscopy.

Ion-molecule complex dynamics as well as water dynamics in concentrated lithium chloride (LiCl) solutions are examined using ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy with the CN stretching mode of methyl thiocyanate (MeSCN) as the vibrational probe. In pure water, MeSCN has a narrow symmetric absorption line shape. 2D IR spectral diffusion measurements of the CN stretch give the identical time dependence of water dynamics, as previously observed using the OD stretch of HOD in H2O. In concentrated LiCl solutions, the IR absorption spectrum of MeSCN displays two distinct peaks, one corresponding to water H-bonded to the N lone pair of MeSCN (W) and the other corresponding to Li+ associated with the N (L). These two species are in equilibrium, and switching of the CN bonding partner from Li+ to H2O and vice versa was observed and explicated with 2D IR chemical exchange spectroscopy. The MeSCN·Li+ complex dissociation time constant, τLW, and the MeSCN·H2O dissociation time constant, τWL, were determined. The observed τLW chemical exchange dissociation time constant changes from 60 to 40 ps as the LiCl concentration decreases from ∼10.7 to ∼7.7 M, mainly due to the increase of the water concentration as the LiCl concentration is reduced. The observed time constants are independent of the model for the chemical reaction. With the assumption of a simple chemical equation, MeSCN·Li+ + H2O ⇄ MeSCN·H2O + Li+, the equilibrium equation rate constants were obtained from the observed chemical exchange time constants. It was determined that the equilibrium rate constants barely change even though the viscosity changes by a factor of 2 and the ionic strength changes by a factor of 1.4. Extrapolation to dilute LiCl solution estimates the τLW to be ∼30 ps. The orientational relaxation (anisotropy decay) of both the W and L complexes was measured using polarization selective 2D IR experiments. The lithium-bonded species undergoes orientational relaxation ∼3 times slower than the water-bonded species in each LiCl solution studied. The difference demonstrates the distinct interactions with the medium experienced by the neutral and charged species in the concentrated salt solutions.

Vibrational Relaxation and Redistribution Dynamics in Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl-Based Charge-Transfer Excited States: ACombined Ultrafast Electronic and Infrared Absorption Study.

Ultrafast time-resolved electronic and infrared absorption measurements have been carried out on a series of Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes in an effort to delineate the dynamics of vibrational relaxation in this class of charge transfer chromophores. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations performed on compounds of the form [Ru(CN-Me-bpy) x(bpy)3-x]2+ ( x = 1-3 for compounds 1-3, respectively, where CN-Me-bpy is 4,4'-dicyano-5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine and bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine) reveal features in their charge-transfer absorption envelopes that allow for selective excitation of the Ru(II)-(CN-Me-bpy) moiety, the lowest-energy MLCT state(s) in each compound of the series. Changes in band shape and amplitude of the time-resolved differential electronic absorption data are ascribed to vibrational cooling in the CN-Me-bpy-localized 3MLCT state with a time constant of 8 ± 3 ps in all three compounds. This conclusion was corroborated by picosecond time-resolved infrared absorption measurements; sharpening of the CN stretch in the 3MLCT excited state was observed with a time constant of 3.0 ± 1.5 ps in all three members of the series. Electronic absorption data acquired at higher temporal resolution revealed spectral modulation over the first 2 ps occurring with a time constant of τ = 170 ± 50 fs, in compound 1; corresponding effects are significantly attenuated in compound 2 and virtually absent in compound 3. We assign this feature to intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) within the 3MLCT state and represents a rare example of this process being identified from time-resolved electronic absorption data for this important class of chromophores.

The C ̃1Bu ← X ̃1Σg+ Transition of Ethanedinitrile (C2N2): Assignment of the Electronic State Origin and Vibrational Bands.

An analysis is presented for the vacuum ultraviolet C2N2 C̃1Bu ← X̃1Σg+ transition. Contrary to previous assumptions this is found to be a linear to bent transition with a trans-bent C1Bu excited electronic state. The band origin is at 59 840 cm-1. Vibrational bands between 170 and 145 nm are assigned. Vibrational frequencies for the C̃1Bu state are found to be ν1 = 2055 ± 20 cm-1 for the symmetric CN stretch, ν2 = 979 ± 20 cm-1 for the symmetric CC stretch, ν3 = 542 ± 10 cm-1 for the trans-bend, ν4 = 131 ± 10 cm-1 for the out-of-plane torsional bend, and ν6 = 141 ± 10 cm-1 for the cis-bend.

Infrared spectroscopic and computational studies on formamide solutions of Ca2+. Vibrational frequencies of formamide and modes of coordination to Ca2+

Infrared spectroscopy for formamide (FA) solutions of Ca(ClO4)2 shows that both CN stretch (νCN) and CO stretch (νCO) bands of FA undergo upshifts in the presence of Ca2+. Modeling of Ca2+ in FA solutions is accomplished by quantum chemical calculations for Ca2+(FA)n (n = 1–8) complexes with Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM). The calculations indicate that bidentate Ca2+(FA)4 complexes are not consistent with the observed upshift of the νCN band, although a bidentate coordination of four FA molecules via both O and N atoms was assumed in a previous study of the same system. The experimental results are reasonably reproduced by adopting Ca2+(FA)7 and Ca2+(FA)8 complexes with a monodentate coordination of all FA molecules via the O atom. A strong coupling among the CO oscillators is shown to be responsible for the upshifts of the νCO modes despite the O atom coordination.

Extraordinary Slowing of Structural Dynamics in Thin Films of a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid.

The role that interfaces play in the dynamics of liquids is a fundamental scientific problem with vast importance in technological applications. From material science to biology, e.g., batteries to cell membranes, liquid properties at interfaces are frequently determinant in the nature of chemical processes. For most liquids, like water, the influence of an interface falls off on a ∼1 nm distance scale. Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are a vast class of unusual liquids composed of complex cations and anions that are liquid salts at room temperature. They are unusual liquids with properties that can be finely tuned by selecting the structure of the cation and anion. RTILs are being used or developed in applications such as batteries, CO2 capture, and liquids for biological processes. Here, it is demonstrated quantitatively that the influence of an interface on RTIL properties is profoundly different from that observed in other classes of liquids. The dynamics of planar thin films of the room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BmimNTf2), were investigated using two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) with the CN stretch of SeCN– as the vibrational probe. The structural dynamics (spectral diffusion) of the thin films with controlled nanometer thicknesses were measured and compared to the dynamics of the bulk liquid. The samples were prepared by spin coating the RTIL, together with the vibrational probe, onto a surface functionalized with an ionic monolayer that mimics the structure of the BmimNTf2. Near-Brewster’s angle reflection pump–probe geometry 2D IR facilitated the detection of the exceedingly small signals from the films, some of which were only 14 nm thick. Even in quarter micron (250 nm) thick films, the observed dynamics were much slower than those of the bulk liquid. Using a new theoretical description, the correlation length (exponential falloff of the influence of the interfaces) was found to be 28 ± 5 nm. This very long correlation length, ∼30 times greater than that of water, has major implications for the use of RTILs in devices and other applications.

Alkyl hydrogen atom abstraction reactions of the CN radical with ethanol.

We present a study of the abstraction of alkyl hydrogen atoms from the β and α positions of ethanol by the CN radical in solution using the Empirical Valence Bond (EVB) method. We have built separate 2 × 2 EVB models for the Hβ and Hα reactions, where the atom transfer is parameterized using ab initio calculations. The intra- and intermolecular potentials of the reactant and product molecules were modelled with the General AMBER Force Field, with some modifications. We have carried out the dynamics in water and chloroform, which are solvents of contrasting polarity. We have computed the potential of mean force for both abstractions in each of the solvents. They are found to have a small and early barrier along the reaction coordinate with a large energy release. Analyzing the solvent structure around the reaction system, we have found two solvents to have little effect on either reaction. Simulating the dynamics from the transition state, we also study the fate of the energies in the HCN vibrational modes. The HCN molecule is born vibrationally hot in the CH stretch in both reactions and additionally in the HCN bends for the Hα abstraction reaction. In the early stage of the dynamics, we find that the CN stretch mode gains energy at the expense of the energy in CH stretch mode.

Cyanamide as an Infrared Reporter: Comparison of Vibrational Properties between Nitriles Bonded to N and C Atoms.

Infrared (IR) probes based on terminally blocked β-cyanamidoalanine (AlaNHCN) 1 and p-cyanamidophenylalanine (PheNHCN) 2 were synthesized, and the vibrational properties of their CN stretch modes were studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and femtosecond IR pump-probe spectroscopies in combination with quantum chemical calculations. From FTIR studies, it is found that the transition dipole strengths of the cyanamide (NHCN) group in 1 and 2 are much larger than those of the nitrile (CN) group but comparable to those of the isonitrile (NC) and azido (N3) groups in their previously studied analogs. The CN stretch frequencies in 1 and 2 are red-shifted from those in their nitrile analogs but more blue-shifted from the NC and N3 stretch frequencies in their isonitrile and azido analogs. The much larger transition dipole strength and the red-shifted frequency of the cyanamide relative to nitrile group originates from the n → π* interaction between the N atom's nonbonding (n) and CN group's antibonding (π*) orbitals of the NHCN group. Unlike aliphatic cyanamide 1, aromatic cyanamide 2 shows a complicated line shape of the CN stretch spectra. Such a complicated line shape arises from the Fermi resonance between the CN stretch mode of the NHCN group and one of the overtones of the phenyl ring vibrations and can be substantially simplified by deuteration of the NHCN into NDCN group. From IR pump-probe experiments, the vibrational lifetimes of the CN stretch mode in 1 were determined to be 0.58 ± 0.04 ps in D2O and 0.89 ± 0.09 ps in H2O and those in 2 were determined to be 1.64 ± 0.13 ps in CH3OD/dimethyl sulfoxide and 0.30 ± 0.05 and 2.62 ± 0.26 ps in CH3OH. The short time component (0.30 ± 0.05 ps) observed for 2 in CH3OH is attributed to the vibrational relaxation through Fermi resonance. These vibrational lifetimes are close to those of the nitrile and azido groups but shorter than those of the isonitrile group. Consequently, cyanamide behaves like an apparent vibrational hybrid of nitrile and isonitrile in that cyanamide is similar to nitrile in vibrational frequency and lifetime but to isonitrile in transition dipole strength. It is believed that cyanamide has the potential to be a strongly absorbing IR reporter of the conformational and environmental structure and dynamics of biomolecules in comparison to nitrile, a weak absorber.