Vibrational Circular Dichroism Bands Research Articles

Mid-IR and CH stretching vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy to distinguish various sources of chirality: The case of quinophaneoxazoline based ruthenium(II) complexes.

Five diastereomers of ruthenium(II) complexes based on quinolinophaneoxazoline ligands were investigated by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) in the mid-IR and CH stretching regions. Diastereomers differ in three sources of chirality: the planar chirality of the quinolinophane moiety, the central chirality of an asymmetric carbon atom of the oxazoline ring, and the chirality of the ruthenium atom. VCD, allied to DFT calculations, has been found to be effective in disentangling the various forms of chirality. In particular, a VCD band is identified in the CH stretching region directly connected to the chirality of the metal. The analysis of the calculated VCD spectra is carried out by partitioning the complexes into fragments. The anharmonic analysis is also performed with a recently proposed reduced-dimensionality approach: such treatment is particularly important when examining spectroscopic regions highly perturbed by resonances, like the CH stretching region.

Vibrational Circular Dichroism Study of Pipitzols and of Their Inverse Epimer Constituents α- and β-Pipitzol

Inverse epimers are uncommon in nature and a lack of study of their vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) behavior seems evident. This is relevant, among other facts, since in the case of epimers, VCD has been capable of determining the absolute configuration (AC) of 1 stereogenic center in a molecule having 10 stereogenic centers. The case of pipitzol is unique since it took 80 years from its first preparation by thermal intramolecular cycloaddition of perezone (1) to know that the reaction outcome is an equimolar mixture of the 2 inverse epimers α-pipitzol (2: 3 R, 3a R, 7 R, and 8a S) and β-pipitzol (3: 3 R, 3a S, 7 S, and 8a R). Evaluation of 2 and 3 reveals that some VCD bands have an opposite phase while other bands show the same phase. The VCD spectrum of the naturally occurring equimolecular mixture was also measured and the 3 experimental spectra were contrasted with density functional theory (DFT) calculated spectra allowing individual band assignments. The comparisons were made in the 1800 to 950 and 1550 to 950 cm−1 ranges and the numerical differences are highlighted thereby showing that carbonyl bands influence such comparisons. The 2 carbonyl absorption bands of 2 and 3 show weak VCD bands and the conjugated double bond band provides an intense AC-dependent VCD band.

Mapping of Supramolecular Chirality in Insect Wings by Microscopic Vibrational Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy: Heterogeneity in Protein Distribution.

The supramolecular chirality of the hindwing of Anomala albopilosa (male) was investigated using a microscopic vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) system, denoted as MultiD-VCD. The source of intense infrared (IR) light for the system was a quantum cascade laser. Two-dimensional maps of IR and VCD spectra were taken by scanning the surface area (ca. 2 mm × 2 mm) of the insect hindwing tissue. The spectra ranged from 1500 to 1700 cm-1, and the maps have a spatial resolution of 100 μm. The distribution of proteins, including their supramolecular structures, was analyzed from the location-dependent spectral shape of the VCD bands assigned to amides I and II. The results revealed that the hindwing consists of segregated domains of proteins with different secondary structures: an α-helix (in one part of the membrane), a hybrid of α-helix and β-sheet (in another part of the membrane), and a coil (in a vein).

Solid Phase Nitrosylation of Enantiomeric Cobalt(II) Complexes

Accompanied by a change in color from red to black, the enantiomorphic phases of the cobalt complexes of a chiral salen ligand (L2−, Co(L)·CS2, and Co(L) (L = LS,S or LR,R)) chemisorb NO (g) at atmospheric pressure and rt over hours for the CS2 solvated phase, and within seconds for the desolvated phase. NO is installed as an axial nitrosyl ligand. Aligned but unconnected voids in the CS2 desorbed Co(LR,R)·CS2 structure indicate conduits for the directional desorption of CS2 and reversible sorption of NO, which occur without loss of crystallinity. Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra have been recorded for both hands of LH2, Zn(L), Co(L)·CS2, Co(L), Co(NO)(L), and Co(NO)(L)·CS2, revealing significant differences between the solution-state and solid-state spectra. Chiral induction enables the detection of the νNO band in both condensed states, and surprisingly also the achiral lattice solvent (CS2 (νCS at 1514 cm−1)) in the solid-state VCD. Solution-state spectra of the paramagnetic Co(II) complex shows a nearly 10-fold enhancement and more extensive inversion of polarity of the vibrations of dominant VCD bands compared to the spectra of the diamagnetic compounds. This enhancement is less pronounced when there are fewer polarity inversions in the solid state VCD spectra.

Assignment of protonated R-homocitrate in extracted FeMo-cofactor of nitrogenase via vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy

Protonation of FeMo-cofactor (FeMo-co) is important for the process of substrate hydrogenation. Its structure has been clarified as Δ-Mo*Fe7S9C(R-homocit*)(cys)(Hhis) after the efforts of nearly 30 years, but it remains controversial whether FeMo-co is protonated or deprotonated with chelated ≡C − O(H) homocitrate. We have used protonated molybdenum(V) lactate 1 and its enantiomer as model compounds for R-homocitrate in FeMo-co of nitrogenase. Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectrum of 1 at 1051 cm−1 is attributed to ≡C − OH vibration, and molybdenum(VI) R-lactate at 1086 cm−1 is assigned as ≡C − Oα-alkoxy vibration. These vibrations set up labels for the protonation state of coordinated α-hydroxycarboxylates. The characteristic VCD band of NMF-extracted FeMo-co is assigned to ν(C − OH), which is based on the comparison of molybdenum(VI) R-homocitrate. Density functional theory calculations are consistent with these assignments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that protonated R-homocitrate in FeMo-co is confirmed by VCD spectra.

Chiral Lanthanide Complexes with l- and d-Alanine: An X-ray and Vibrational Circular Dichroism Study.

A whole series of [Ln(H2O)4(Ala)2]26+ dimeric cationic lanthanide complexes with both l- and d-alanine enantiomers was synthesized. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 100 and 292 K shows the formation of two types of dimers (I and II) in crystals. Between the dimer centers, the alanine molecules behave as bridging (μ2-O,O’-) and chelating bridging (μ2-O,O,O’-) ligands. The first type of bridge is present in dimers I, while both bridge forms can be observed in dimers II. The IR and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of all l- and d-alanine complexes were registered in the 1750–1250 cm−1 range as KBr pellets. Despite all the studied complexes are exhibiting similar crystal structures, the spectra reveal correlations or trends with the Ln–O1 distances which exemplify the lanthanide contraction effect in the IR spectra. This is especially true for the positions and intensities of some IR bands. Unexpectedly, the ν(C=O) VCD bands are quite intense and their composed shapes reveal the inequivalence of the C=O vibrators in the unit cell which vary with the lanthanide. Unlike in the IR spectra, the ν(C=O) VCD band positions are only weakly correlated with the change of Ln and the VCD intensities at most show some trends. Nevertheless, this is the first observation of the lanthanide contraction effect in the VCD spectra. Generally, for the heavier lanthanides (Ln: Dy–Lu), the VCD band maxima are very close to each other and the mirror reflection of the band of two enantiomers is usually better than that of the lighter Lns. DFT calculations show that the higher the multiplicity the higher the stability of the system. Actually, the molecular geometry in crystals (at 100 K) is well predicted based on the highest-spin structures. Also, the simulated IR and VCD spectra strongly depend on the Ln electron configuration but the best overall agreement was reached for the Lu complex, which is the only system with a fully filled f-shell.

Theoretical VCD response in the C-H stretching region of methyl α and β L-Fucopyranoside: a different behavior from monosaccharides

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) band near 2840 cm−1 in the C-H stretching region is likely to play an important role as an alternative approach to extract stereochemical information namely, glycosidic O-linkages α or β for monosaccharides. Indeed, the experimental results attribute a positive sign for the S absolute configuration (α-anomers for D-sugars and β-anomers for L-sugars) and a negative sign for the R absolute configuration (β-anomers for D-sugar and α-anomers for L-sugar) at C-1 anomeric carbon site. This band was assigned as a symmetric stretching motion of glycosidic methyl group. The idea was to reproduce and explain these experimental results by using theoretical powerful methods and go farther, by studying how to extract stereochemical information from polysaccharides. The obtained theoretical VCD spectra for six monosaccharides were in good agreement with the experiment, except for methyl L-Fucopyranoside. Truly, for this particular sugar, two VCD bands with different signs were obtained for the S-configuration (β form) and assigned both to the symmetric stretching of the methyl glycosidic group. It becomes more interesting to explore this VCD response, to allow us, possibly to examine another way to differentiate between the alpha and the beta forms for this molecule.

Analysis of Vibrational Circular Dichroism Spectra of Peptides: A Generalized Coupled Oscillator Approach of a Small Peptide Model Using VCDtools.

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) is one of the major spectroscopic tools to study peptides. Nevertheless, a full understanding of what determines the signs and intensities of VCD bands of these compounds in the amide I and amide II spectral regions is still far from complete. In the present work, we study the origin of these VCD signals using the general coupled oscillator (GCO) analysis, a novel approach that has recently been developed. We apply this approach to the ForValNHMe model peptide in both α-helix and β-sheet configurations. We show that the intense VCD signals observed in the amide I and amide II spectral regions essentially have the same underlying mechanism, namely, the through-space coupling of electric dipoles. The crucial role played by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in determining VCD intensities is also illustrated. Moreover, we find that the contributions to the rotational strengths, considered to be insignificant in standard VCD models, may have sizable magnitudes and can thus not always be neglected. In addition, the VCD robustness of the amide I and II modes has been investigated by monitoring the variation of the rotational strength and its contributing terms during linear transit scans and by performing calculations with different computational parameters. From these studies—and in particular, the decomposition of the rotational strength made possible by the GCO analysis—it becomes clear that one should be cautious when employing measures of robustness as proposed previously.

Symmetry-Dependent Vibrational Circular Dichroism Enhancement in Co(II) Salicylaldiminato Complexes.

Chiral coordination compounds of Co(II) and other open-shell metal complexes display enhanced vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra associated with the existence of low-lying excited states (LLESs). In addition to the enhancement, a series of Co(II) salicylaldiminato complexes exhibits an almost monosignate pattern of VCD bands, a unique feature if compared with the usual alternation of positive and negative signals. Frequency and excited-state calculations reveal that VCD enhancement and sign reversal selectively affect the normal modes of B symmetry of the C2-symmetric pseudotetrahedral species thanks to their combination with one or more LLES having the same B symmetry. This proves the strict relation between VCD enhancement and monosignate appearance and demonstrates an unprecedented symmetry dependence of the two phenomena.

The connection between robustness angles and dissymmetry factors in vibrational circular dichroism spectra

To analyze vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra the angle between the electric and magnetic dipole transition moments was introduced as robustness index. We demonstrate that VCD for each normal mode can be made robust by a suitable translation of the coordinate system origin to a robust point. Normal modes differ in how VCD band robustness varies under translations from these respective robust points. It is shown that variation in robustness of a VCD band depends on a parameter inversely proportional to the dissymmetry factor g. Thus, robustness varies slowly for VCD bands with large dissymmetry factors and vice versa.

VCD Robustness of the Amide-I and Amide-II Vibrational Modes of Small Peptide Models.

The rotational strengths and the robustness values of amide-I and amide-II vibrational modes of For(AA)n NHMe (where AA is Val, Asn, Asp, or Cys, n = 1-5 for Val and Asn; n = 1 for Asp and Cys) model peptides with α-helix and β-sheet backbone conformations were computed by density functional methods. The robustness results verify empirical rules drawn from experiments and from computed rotational strengths linking amide-I and amide-II patterns in the vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of peptides with their backbone structures. For peptides with at least three residues (n ≥ 3) these characteristic patterns from coupled amide vibrational modes have robust signatures. For shorter peptide models many vibrational modes are nonrobust, and the robust modes can be dependent on the residues or on their side chain conformations in addition to backbone conformations. These robust VCD bands, however, provide information for the detailed structural analysis of these smaller systems.

The amide III vibrational circular dichroism band as a probe to detect conformational preferences of alanine dipeptide in water

The conformational preferences of blocked alanine dipeptide (ADP), Ac-Ala-NHMe, in aqueous solution were studied using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. DFT calculations of three most representative conformations of ADP surrounded by six explicit water molecules immersed in a dielectric continuum have proven high sensitivity of amide III VCD band shape that is characteristic for each conformation of the peptide backbone. The polyproline II (PII ) and αR conformation of ADP are associated with a positive VCD band while β conformation has a negative VCD band in amide III region. Knowing this spectral characteristic of each conformation allows us to assign the experimental amide III VCD spectrum of ADP. Moreover, the amide III region of the VCD spectrum was used to determine the relative populations of conformations of ADP in water. Based on the interpretation of the amide III region of VCD spectrum we have shown that dominant conformation of ADP in water is PII which is stabilized by hydrogen bonded water molecules between CO and NH groups on the peptide backbone.

Is Supramolecular Filament Chirality the Underlying Cause of Major Morphology Differences in Amyloid Fibrils?

The unique enhanced sensitivity of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) to the formation and development of amyloid fibrils in solution is extended to four additional fibril-forming proteins or peptides where it is shown that the sign of the fibril VCD pattern correlates with the sense of supramolecular filament chirality and, without exception, to the dominant fibril morphology as observed in AFM or SEM images. Previously for insulin, it has been demonstrated that the sign of the VCD band pattern from filament chirality can be controlled by adjusting the pH of the incubating solution, above pH 2 for “normal” left-hand-helical filaments and below pH 2 for “reversed” right-hand-helical filaments. From AFM or SEM images, left-helical filaments form multifilament braids of left-twisted fibrils while the right-helical filaments form parallel filament rows of fibrils with a flat tape-like morphology, the two major classes of fibril morphology that from deep UV resonance Raman scattering exhibit the same cross-β-core secondary structure. Here we investigate whether fibril supramolecular chirality is the underlying cause of the major morphology differences in all amyloid fibrils by showing that the morphology (twisted versus flat) of fibrils of lysozyme, apo-α-lactalbumin, HET-s (218–289) prion, and a short polypeptide fragment of transthyretin, TTR (105–115), directly correlates to their supramolecular chirality as revealed by VCD. The result is strong evidence that the chiral supramolecular organization of filaments is the principal underlying cause of the morphological heterogeneity of amyloid fibrils. Because fibril morphology is linked to cell toxicity, the chirality of amyloid aggregates should be explored in the widely used in vitro models of amyloid-associated diseases.

Chiral Resolution and Absolute Configuration of 3α,6β-Dicinnamoyloxytropane and 3α,6β-Di(1-ethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-ylcarbonyloxy)tropane, Constituents of Erythroxylum Species

Chiral resolution of (+/-)-3alpha,6beta-dicinnamoyloxytropane (1) and (+/-)-3alpha,6beta-di(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-ylcarbonyloxy)tropane (2), prepared by esterification of (+/-)-3alpha,6beta-tropanediol (3), was achieved using an amylose-derived HPLC stationary phase and normal phase conditions. The corresponding vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra provided the absolute configuration of the enantiomers as (-)-(3R,6R)-1, (+)-(3S,6S)-1, (-)-(3R,6R)-2 and (+)-(3S,6S)-2. In each case, characteristic VCD bands for the absolute configuration determination of the 3alpha,6beta-tropandiol esters were observed. While the absolute configuration of natural 1, previously isolated from Erythroxylum hypericifolium, could not be established due to the lack of literature optical rotation values, that of catuabine E, previously isolated from E. vacciniifolium, is now assigned as (-)-(3R,6R)-2 by comparison with the optical rotation values of the prepared samples and the reported rotation of the natural product.

Identifying dominant conformations of N-acetyl-l-cysteine methyl ester and N-acetyl-l-cysteine in water: VCD signatures of the amide I and the C[dbnd]O stretching bands

Infrared (IR) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine Methyl Ester (NALCME) and N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine (NALC) in D2O under different pHs were measured. We focus on the VCD signatures of the amide I and the CO stretching spectral signatures of the neutral NALCME and NALC species and the related ones of the deprotonated NALC species in the region of 1800–1500cm−1. A sign inversion is observed for the amide I VCD band going from the neutral NALCME and NALC to the deprotonated NALC species. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to search for the possible conformations of these three species and to simulate their IR and VCD spectra at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level in the gas phase and with the polarization continuum model of water solvent. The most stable conformations found for neutral NALCME and NALC exhibit drastically difference VCD patterns, whereas those of deprotonated NALC show similar patterns. We establish an empirical structural–spectral relationship where the aforementioned VCD signatures can be used as spectral markers to identify dominant conformations of these two amino acid derivatives under different pHs. It is recognized that the dominant conformers identified using the VCD spectral markers differ from those based on the relative DFT energies for neutral NALCME and NALC. The influence of solvent on both the conformational geometries and their relative stabilities is discussed. The aforementioned discrepancy can be attributed to the explicit solute–solvent hydrogen-bonding interactions which are not accounted for in the calculations. The empirical structural–spectral relationship identified can potentially be applied to large, related amino acids and polypeptides in water.

Simulated IR, Isotropic and Anisotropic Raman, and Vibrational Circular Dichroism Amide I Band Profiles of Stacked β-Sheets

The amide I mode is a highly structure sensitive vibration of polypeptides that gives rise to a very strong band in IR absorption and a moderate band in Raman spectra. Many theoretical simulations of IR-band profiles have been undertaken thus far in order to expand the usability of amide I for the structure analysis of peptides and proteins. These simulations have thus far focused on the IR band profiles and to a limited extent on calculating the corresponding vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) signal. In this paper, we use excitonic coupling theory to simulate the IR, isotropic Raman, anisotropic Raman, and VCD band profiles of amide I of parallel and antiparallel β-sheets as well as of two layers of stacked β-sheets with antiparallel and parallel orientations of the respective sheets. Our calculations reveal anisotropic Raman and to a lesser extent VCD amide I profiles rather than the corresponding IR profile as suitable tools to discriminate between parallel and antiparallel β-sheets. Stacking has a very limited influence on the Raman and IR band profiles, but enhance the VCD signal, the sign of which allows one to discriminate between parallel and antiparallel orientations of stacked sheets. Helical twisting and bending of parallel β-sheets give rise to a very enhanced positive couplet, in agreement with the recent work of Schweitzer-Stenner and Measey (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133, 1066). Stochastic uncorrelated inhomogeneity of individual peptide groups causes significant asymmetric broadening of Raman bands and, to a lesser extent, of IR bands and reduces the VCD-couplet of stacked β-sheets.

Effects of electron configuration and coordination number on the vibrational circular dichroism spectra of metal complexes of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane

Transition metal complexes of ethylenediamine have attracted significant interest as prototype systems for a range of studies related to their chiroptical properties. In order to better elucidate the effects of different central metal ions and also different coordination numbers on the vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra, trans-1,2-diamino cyclohexane (chxn) was chosen as the chiral ligands in the current report. In this case the conformation of the diamino ligand is predetermined by its absolute configuration and the transition from the λ- to the δ-form that can occur in the case of ethylenediamine is no longer possible. The fingerprint region of the vibrational absorption and VCD spectra of three transition metal complexes of chxn have been analysed in detail. For the tris chelate complexes Ni(chxn)(3)(2+) and Cu(chxn)(3)(2+), selective enhancement of some VCD bands in the otherwise almost identical spectra has been observed and explained in terms of a ring current mechanism and of a different number of unpaired electrons of the metal centers. The comparison of the VCD spectra of Cu(chxn)(3)(2+) and Cu(chxn)(2)(2+) reveals the effects of coordination number that manifest as an inversion of the strong bisignate VCD pattern of the NH(2) scissor vibrational modes. This leads to the conclusion that this region can be used to extract information about the ligand environment and the chirality of the metal center.

On chirality transfer in electron donor-acceptor complexes. A prediction for the sulfinimine···BF3 system

Stabilization energies of the electron donor-acceptor sulfinimine···BF(3) complexes calculated at either the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ or the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level do not allow to judge, whether the N- or O-atom in sulfinimine is stronger electron-donor to BF(3) . The problem seems to be solvable because chirality transfer phenomenon between chiral sulfinimine and achiral BF(3) is expected to be vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) active. Moreover, the bands associated with the achiral BF(3) molecule are predicted to be the most intense in the entire spectrum. However, the VCD band robustness analyses show that most of the chirality transfer modes of BF(3) are unreliable. Conversely, variation of VCD intensity with change of intermolecular distance, angle, and selected dihedrals between the complex partners shows that to establish the robustness of chirality transfer mode. It is also necessary to determine the influence of the potential energy surface (PES) shape on the VCD intensity. At the moment, there is still no universal criterion for the chirality transfer mode robustness and the conclusions formulated based on one system cannot be directly transferred even to a quite similar one. However, it is certain that more attention should be focused on relation of PES shape and the VCD mode robustness problem.

Spectroscopic Detection of DNA Quadruplexes by Vibrational Circular Dichroism

The four-stranded G-quadruplex motif is a conformation frequently adopted by guanine-rich nucleic acids that plays an important role in biology, medicine, and nanotechnology. Although vibrational spectroscopy has been widely used to investigate nucleic acid structure, association of particular spectral features with the quadruplex structure has to date been ambiguous. In this work, experimental IR absorption and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of the model quadruplex systems d(G)(8) and deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate (5'-dGMP) were analyzed using molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum-chemical modeling. The experimental spectra were unambiguously assigned to the quadruplex DNA arrangement, and several IR and VCD bands related to this structural motif were determined. Involvement of MD in the modeling was essential for realistic simulation of the spectra. The VCD signal was found to be more sensitive to dynamical structural variations than the IR signal. The combination of the spectroscopic techniques with multiscale simulations provides extended information about nucleic acid conformations and their dynamics.

(R)‐(+)‐[VCD(–)984]‐4‐Ethyl‐4‐methyloctane: A Cryptochiral Hydrocarbon with a Quaternary Chiral Center. (2) Vibrational CD Spectra of Both Enantiomers and Absolute Configurational Assignment

AbstractTo characterize precisely the chiroptical properties of 4‐ethyl‐4‐methyloctane (1), one of the so‐called cryptochiral compounds, the enantiomer (S)‐(–)‐[VCD(+)984]‐1 was synthesized in an enantiopure form. The observed specific rotation values at 365 nm of both enantiomers agreed well, but were opposite in sign, confirming their enantiomeric relationship, although their absolute values were very small, reflecting their cryptochirality. The vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of both enantiomers were measured neat and showed characteristic Cotton effects around 1150–900 cm–1; the VCD spectral curves were mirror images of each other. Based on the observed positive VCD band at 984 cm–1 for (S)‐(–)‐1, its absolute configuration was fully designated as (S)‐(–)‐[VCD(+)984]‐1. The VCD spectrum was quantum chemically calculated by the DFT MO method at the B3PW91/6‐31G(d,p) level, and the simulated VCD curve for (S)‐1 agreed very well with the observed VCD spectrum of (S)‐(–)‐1, confirming the absolute configuration.