Qualitative analysis of collective mode frequency shifts in L-alanine using terahertz spectroscopy

We have observed collective mode frequency shifts in deuterium-substituted L-alanine, three of which have previously only been calculated. Terahertz (THz) absorbance spectra were acquired at room temperature in the spectral range of 66-90 cm(-1), or 2.0-2.7 THz, for L-alanine (L-Ala) and four L-Ala compounds in which hydrogen atoms (atomic mass = 1 amu) were substituted with deuterium atoms (atomic mass = 2 amu): L-Ala-2-d, L-Ala-3,3,3-d(3), L-Ala-2,3,3,3-d(4), and L-Ala-d(7). The absorbance maxima of two L-Ala collective modes in this spectral range were recorded for multiple spectral measurements of each compound, and the magnitude of each collective mode frequency shift due to increased mass of these specific atoms was evaluated for statistical significance. Calculations were performed which predict the THz absorbance frequencies based on the estimated reduced mass of the modes. The shifts in absorbance maxima were correlated with the location(s) of the substituted deuterium atom(s) in the L-alanine molecule, and the atoms contributing to the absorbing delocalized mode in the crystal structure were deduced using statistics described herein. The statistical analyses presented also indicate that the precision of the method allows reproducible frequency shifts as small as 1 cm(-1) or 0.03 THz to be observed and that these shifts are not random error in the measurement.