Raman spectroscopic analysis of isomers of biliverdin dimethyl ester

The constitutional isomers of biliverdin dimethyl ester, IX alpha and XIII alpha, were studied by resonance Raman spectroscopy. The far-reaching spectral similarities suggest that despite the different substitution patterns, the compositions of the normal modes are closely related. This conclusion does not hold only for the parent state (ZZZ, sss configuration) but also for the configurational isomers which were obtained upon double-bond photoisomerization. Based on a comparison of the resonance Raman spectra, a EZZ configuration is proposed for one of the two photoisomers of biliverdin dimethyl ester IX alpha, while a ZZE, ssa configuration has been assigned previously to the second isomer.