Optical and electron spectrometry of molecules of biological interest

Abstract

Optical absorption and emission spectroscopy together with low energy electron interaction (elastic scattering, excitation, ionization, resonances) with biologically relevant molecules (nitrogen, oxygen, water, alcohols, tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydrofurfuril alcohol, 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran, pyrimidine, glycine, alanine) are studied in order to understand radiation damage and to investigate the presence of pollutants in the atmosphere. Versatile high resolution electron spectrometers are used in the present study of electron-molecule interactions. Energy loss spectra were recorded for these molecules in order to identify electronic transitions from ground state to both allowed and optically forbidden states. Optical emission spectra have been recorded from gas discharge processes by low resolution optical spectrometer (Ocean Optics 2000). Also, electronic spectra were compared with high resolution synchrotron photoabsorption spectra where these spectra had been available. Experimental methods of absorption-based laser spectroscopy were reviewed being of the most widely used analytical tools for detection of a specific molecule and quantitative measurements, based on the Beer-Lambert absorption law.