Vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy of poly‐α‐amino acids

Abstract

Abstract Vacuum ultraviolet spectra are reported for a series of poly‐α‐amino acids which were film cast onto lithium fluoride discs. The solvents used for film casting were chosen such that chain conformations representative of those normally found for polypeptides were produced. Comparison of the spectra obtained suggests that the peptide group has at least one conformationally sensitive transition in the vacuum ultraviolet region at ∼165 nm. For the β, or extended, form of the polymers, the intensity of this transition appears to be greater than that found for the monomer units, whereas the formation of a more compact helix results in a reduction in the intensity of this transition relative to that found for the monomers.