A STUDY OF MASS LOSS AND PRODUCT FORMATION AFTER IRRADIATION OF SOME DRY AMINO ACIDS, PEPTIDES, POLYPEPTIDES AND PROTEINS WITH AN ELECTRON BEAM OF LOW CURRENT DENSITY

Abstract

Amino acids, peptides, polypeptides and proteins were irradiated with electrons at 70-kv accelerating potential in an electron microscope mockup. Loss of mass and chemical changes occur almost instantaneously. For a given dose rate an organic object is converted to a steady state product. This is characterized by a poorly structured infrared pattern, unchanging elemental composition. The higher the polymerization of the target the smaller was the effect of the irradiation. Such studies conducted outside of the electron microscope reveal only qualitatively what might occur to the electron microscopic specimen during observation.