Experimental and theoretical investigation of the proton-bound dimer of lysine

The structure of the proton-bound lysine dimer has been investigated by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations. The structures of different possible isomers of the proton-bound lysine dimer have been optimized at the B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level of theory and IR spectra calculated using the same computational method. Based on relative Gibbs free energies (298 K) calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level of theory, LL-CS01, and followed closely (1.1 kJ mol(-1)) by LL-CS02 are the most stable non-zwitterionic isomers. At the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + G(d) and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + (d,p) levels of theory, isomer LL-CS02 is favored by 3.0 and 2.3 kJ mol(-1), respectively. The relative Gibbs free energies calculated by the aforementioned levels of theory for LL-CS01 and LL-CS02 are very close and strongly suggest that diagnostic vibrational signatures found in the IRMPD spectrum of the proton-bound dimer of lysine can be attributed to the existence of both isomers. LL-ZW01 is the most stable zwitterionic isomer, in which the zwitterionic structure of the neutral lysine is well stabilized by the protonated lysine moiety via a very strong intermolecular hydrogen bond. At the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-31 + G(d), MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + G(d) and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + G(d,p) levels of theory, the most stable zwitterionic isomer (LL-ZW01) is less favored than LL-CS01 by 7.3, 4.1 and 2.3 kJ mol(-1), respectively. The experimental IRMPD spectrum also confirms that the proton-bound dimer of lysine largely exists as charge-solvated isomers. Investigation of zwitterionic and charge-solvated species of amino acids in the gas phase will aid in a further understanding of structure, property, and function of biological molecules.