Abstract
We describe here frequency-resolved gas-phase spectroscopy of nucleic acids. Frequency resolved means that the effect of photons on the nucleic acid molecules is measured as a function of the photon frequency. The present chapter is primarily focused on experimental aspects, and intended as a compass to navigate a rather interdisciplinary field. Indeed, gas-phase spectroscopy usually combines photonics, mass spectrometry (when ions are detected), and theoretical chemistry. Although theory is of prime importance for the interpretation of the results, as it is the comparison between experimental and theoretical energies of the resonance transitions that allow the structural interpretation of the experimental spectra, extended discussion of theory levels will not be provided here, but relevant literature will be indicated along the text. We will cover rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectroscopy from isolated nucleobases to oligonucleotides and nucleic acid higher-order structures.
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Abbreviations
- CD:
-
Circular dichroism
- CID:
-
Collision-induced dissociation
- CLIO:
-
Centre Laser Infrarouge d’Orsay
- FELIX:
-
Free-Electron Lasers for Infrared eXperiments
- FTICRMS:
-
Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry
- IC:
-
Internal conversion
- IP:
-
Ionization potential
- IR:
-
Infrared
- IRMPD:
-
Infrared multiple photon dissociation
- IR-UV:
-
Infrared-ultraviolet double resonance spectroscopy
- IVR:
-
Intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution
- LA-MB-FTMW:
-
Laser ablation molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy
- LIF:
-
Laser-induced fluorescence
- NMR:
-
Nuclear magnetic resonance
- PD:
-
Photodissociation
- R1PI:
-
Resonance-enhanced single-photon ionization
- R2PI:
-
Resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization
- REMPI:
-
Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization
- S 0 :
-
Electronic ground state
- S 1 :
-
First electronically excited state
- UV:
-
Ultraviolet
- UVMPD:
-
Ultraviolet multiple photon dissociation
- UV-UV:
-
Ultraviolet–ultraviolet double resonance spectroscopy
- Vis:
-
Visible
- VUV:
-
Vacuum ultraviolet
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Gabelica, V., Rosu, F. (2014). Gas-Phase Spectroscopy of Nucleic Acids. In: Gabelica, V. (eds) Nucleic Acids in the Gas Phase. Physical Chemistry in Action. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54842-0_5
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