Assignment of bacteriochlorophyll a ligation state from absorption and resonance raman spectra

Absorption and Soret excitation resonance Raman (RR) spectra have been obtained for a series of coordination forms on monomeric bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a). Strong and moderate intensity bands are observed in the RR spectrum at 1609 and 1530 cm/sup -1/ for five-coordinate species, which shift to 1595 and 1512 cm/sup -1/, respectively, in the six-coordinate form. These coordination-sensitive vibrations are independent of the nature of the axial ligand and are suggested to have significant C/sub a/ C/sub m/ character, while several other less intense coordination-sensitive bands at 1463, 1444, and 1375 cm/sup -1/ are considered to arise from C/sub b/C/sub b/ and C/sub a/N stretching vibrations. These coordination-sensitive RR bands were used to determine BChl a ligation state in the solvents used, and structure correlations based on absorption maxima have been developed. The Q/sub x/ absorption band position is sensitive not only to BChl a Mg/sup 2 +/ coordination number but also to the nature of the axial ligand, i.e., oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen. Q/sub x/ maxima are observed at 570, 575-580, and 582 nm for five-coordinate oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen ligands, respectively, and at 590-595 and 605-612 nm, for six-coordinate oxygen and nitrogen species, respectively. The Q/sub y/ absorptionmore » maximum is insensitive to coordination number changes but is dependent on the nature of the axial ligand: 770 nm for oxygen ligand(s) and 775 nm for nitrogen ligand(s). A similar series of absorption and Soret excitation RR spectra were obtained for the demetalated form of BChl a, BPheo a.« less