Structural investigation of protonated azidothymidine and protonated dimer

Infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy experiments and quantum chemical calculations have been used to explore the possible structures of protonated azidothymidine and the corresponding protonated dimer. Many interesting differences between the protonated and neutral forms of azidothymidine were found, particularly associated with keto-enol tautomerization. Comparison of computational vibrational and the experimental IMRPD spectra show good agreement and give confidence that the dominant protonated species has been identified. The protonated dimer of azidothymidine exhibits three intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The IRMPD spectrum of the protonated dimer is consistent with the spectrum of the most stable computational structure. This work brings to light interesting keto-enol tautomerization and exocyclic hydrogen bonding involving azidothymidine and its protonated dimer. The fact that one dominant protonated species is observed in the gas phase, despite both the keto and enol structures being similar in energy, is proposed to be the direct result of the electrospray ionization process in which the dominant protonated dimer structure dissociates in the most energetically favorable way.