This award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program will help the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kansas acquire a Fourier-transform Raman system (FTR). The FTR will be used in research projects aimed at 1) steady-state and time-resolved studies of the mechanism of energy conversion in the photoactive proteins rhodopsin, bacteriohodopsin, and photosynthetic reaction centers; 2) investigations of structure and the mechanism of oxygen binding in synthetic oxygen-binding compounds; and 3) characterization of electrode processes and electron transfer in flavoenyzmes and cytochrome c3. Raman Spectroscopy is concerned with vibrational and rotational transitions in molecules. The information obtained sometimes complements that obtained from an infrared study and provides valuable structural information. Fourier-transform Raman spectroscopy with near-infrared excitation provides a powerful solution to problems of high background fluorescene or sample photodegradation or photolability and enhanced signal-to-noise quality. Raman spectroscopy is an invaluable tool in studies of condensed-phase chemical and biomolecular systems.
