Conformational identification of tryptamine embedded in superfluid helium droplets using electronic polarization...

We report electronic polarization spectroscopy of tryptamine embedded in superfluid helium droplets. In a dc electric field, dependence of laser induced fluorescence from tryptamine on the polarization direction of the excitation laser is measured. Among the three observed major conformers A, D, and E, conformers D and E display preference for perpendicular excitation relative to the orientation field, while conformer A is insensitive to the polarization direction of the excitation laser. We attribute the behavior of conformer A to the fact that the angle between the permanent dipole and the transition dipole is close to the magic angle. Using a linear variation method, we can reproduce the polarization preference of the three conformers and determine the angle between the transition dipole and the permanent dipole. Since the side chain exerts small effect on the direction of the transition dipole in the frame of the indole chromophore, all three conformers have a common transition dipole more or less in the indole plane at an angle of approximately 60 degrees relative to the long axis of the chromophore. The orientation of the side chain, on the other hand, determines the size and direction of the permanent dipole, thereby affecting the angle between the permanent dipole and the transition dipole. For conformer D in the droplet, our results agree with the Anti(ph) structure, rather than the Anti(py) structure. Our work demonstrates that polarization spectroscopy is effective in conformational identification for molecules that contain a known chromophore. Although coupling of the electronic transition with the helium matrix is not negligible, it does not affect the direction of the transition dipole.