Abstract

We report the only known comprehensive study of conserved vibrational energy transfer during association and dissociation of biologically relevant hydrogen-bonded complexes in dilute (0.1 M acid) room temperature solution. Newly applied picosecond infrared techniques which vibrationally tag and probe interacting proton donating (-OH, -NH) and accepting (e.g., -C = O, ≡ON) constituents will be presented. From these measurements, details of steric interactions, equilibrium reaction rates and unexpected vibrational excitation transfer during hydrogen-bond formation are revealed for the first time.

© 1996 Optical Society of America