Vibrational Spectra of Polypeptides

Abstract The vibrational spectrum of a polymer reflects its detailed fine structure, and the potential advantages of applying this technique to the complex problems of protein chemistry have been realized for some time. However, until a few years ago only dispersive IR instruments could be used to obtain high quality spectra. Raman spectroscopy was only of marginal significance owing to the weak exciting sources then available. The advent of laser excitation meant that high quality Raman spectra could be obtained in a routine fashion, while in the field of IR spectroscopy the introduction of Fourier transform instruments with an on-line computer capability promises an equivalent breakthrough.