Upper limits for stereoselective photodissociation of free amino acids in the vacuum ultraviolet region and at the C 1s edge

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.69.062717· OSTI ID:20643771

Pruemper, Georg; Viefhaus, Jens; Cvejanovic, Slobodan; Rolles, Daniel; Gessner, Oliver; Lischke, Toralf; Hentges, Rainer; Wienberg, Christian; Mahler, Willy; Becker, Uwe; Langer, Burkhard; Prosperi, Tommaso; Zema, Nicola; Turchini, Stefano; Zada, Birgitt; Senf, Fred ^[1]

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1. Fritz-Haber-Institute der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

We measured the total and partial ion yields of the two chiral amino acids alanine and serine in the gas phase both in the vacuum ultraviolet region and at the C(1s) edge using circularly polarized light. We did not detect any circular dichroism asymmetry larger than 1x10{sup -3}. A similar measurement of fixed-in-space amino acids yielded an upper limit of 1x10{sup -2} for the stereoselective effect of circularly polarized light. The results obtained are relevant for quantitative models of stereoselective photodecomposition of amino acids that try to explain the homochirality of life.

• OSTI ID: 20643771
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 69, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.69.062717; (c) 2004 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALANINES
ASYMMETRY
CHIRALITY
DICHROISM
IONS
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
POLARIZATION
SERINE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
VISIBLE RADIATION