Multidimensional Vibrational Circular Dichroism Apparatus Equipped with Quantum Cascade Laser and Its Use for...

We developed a multidimensional vibrational circular dichroism system with a positional coordinate, making it possible to move in both x- and y-directions using an automatic stage. Quantum cascade laser (QCL) was used as a light source to achieve high intensity and narrow focusing. The QCL emitted light in the wavenumber range of 1500-1740 cm^-1, which encompassed absorption bands assigned to the stretching vibrations of amides I and II. The operation of the instrument was analyzed for samples containing amide groups. An aqueous solution of Gly-l-Leu or Gly-d-Leu was measured under the background absorbance as high as 3.5 due to the water medium. The spectra were recorded by scanning at 1.0 cm^-1 steps. The time required for performing measurement at each wavenumber was less than 1 s. The mirror-image relation was maintained between the optical antipodes. A peak assigned to amide II appeared clearly at around 1580 cm^-1. In the case of KBr pellets containing the same compounds, peaks assigned to amide I and II were observed. For two-dimensional pattering, a KBr pellet comprising two domains of amino acids (or l-Ala and d-Ser) was investigated. The distribution of each component within the pellet was obtained under the two-dimensional alignment at the spatial interval of 2.5 mm.