Cryogenically induced signal enhancement of Raman spectra of porphyrin molecules
Cryogenically induced signal enhancement of Raman spectra of porphyrin molecules
Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique in contemporary medicine and biomedical research due to its exceptional ability to provide an unambiguous spectroscopic signature of the molecular chemical composition, structure and atom arrangements. Among other applications, investigations of the Raman spectra of porphyrins and their derivatives have been critical in the study of ligand binding mechanisms and drug interactions with healthy and diseased blood cells, as well as for the analysis of blood, hemoproteins and the oxygenation process of human erythrocyte. However, obtaining Raman spectra with satisfactory definition of porphyrin-based molecules can be challenging due to their inherent photo- and thermal sensitivity which leads to laser damage even at low laser power. This severely affects the Raman spectra of porphyrins and limits the Raman signal strength and spectra quality. In this study, we examine two important porphyrins, hemin and protoporphyrin IX, at cryogenic temperatures down to 77 K using a 532 nm excitation Raman instrument in order to study the Raman signal strength and spectral quality dependence on the sample temperature at these extreme low temperatures. We report a significant Raman signal enhancement of up to 310% in the spectra at cryogenic temperatures compared to room temperature measurements. This provides a remarkable improvement of the quality and definition within the spectra and demonstrates that cryogenic Raman measurements can be used as an exceptionally effective method of enhancing the Raman signal and spectra quality for investigations of porphyrins and their derivatives regardless of the excitation wavelength selection. This can greatly improve the effectiveness of Raman spectroscopy in biomedical research, especially in the field of drug design and development, medical diagnostics and disease monitoring and analysis.
3307 - 3314
Vitkova, Ariana Barbora
574463b5-8c69-4d15-a22a-a8b7076ad80c
Walker, Scott J.I.
b18bd195-aa52-4f1b-8d52-09d58b7477fd
Sykulska-Lawrence, Hanna
844512fc-78fb-420c-8d16-fefa2ce35d26
11 August 2022
Vitkova, Ariana Barbora
574463b5-8c69-4d15-a22a-a8b7076ad80c
Walker, Scott J.I.
b18bd195-aa52-4f1b-8d52-09d58b7477fd
Sykulska-Lawrence, Hanna
844512fc-78fb-420c-8d16-fefa2ce35d26
Vitkova, Ariana Barbora, Walker, Scott J.I. and Sykulska-Lawrence, Hanna
(2022)
Cryogenically induced signal enhancement of Raman spectra of porphyrin molecules.
Analytical Methods, 14 (34), .
(doi:10.1039/D2AY00538G).
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique in contemporary medicine and biomedical research due to its exceptional ability to provide an unambiguous spectroscopic signature of the molecular chemical composition, structure and atom arrangements. Among other applications, investigations of the Raman spectra of porphyrins and their derivatives have been critical in the study of ligand binding mechanisms and drug interactions with healthy and diseased blood cells, as well as for the analysis of blood, hemoproteins and the oxygenation process of human erythrocyte. However, obtaining Raman spectra with satisfactory definition of porphyrin-based molecules can be challenging due to their inherent photo- and thermal sensitivity which leads to laser damage even at low laser power. This severely affects the Raman spectra of porphyrins and limits the Raman signal strength and spectra quality. In this study, we examine two important porphyrins, hemin and protoporphyrin IX, at cryogenic temperatures down to 77 K using a 532 nm excitation Raman instrument in order to study the Raman signal strength and spectral quality dependence on the sample temperature at these extreme low temperatures. We report a significant Raman signal enhancement of up to 310% in the spectra at cryogenic temperatures compared to room temperature measurements. This provides a remarkable improvement of the quality and definition within the spectra and demonstrates that cryogenic Raman measurements can be used as an exceptionally effective method of enhancing the Raman signal and spectra quality for investigations of porphyrins and their derivatives regardless of the excitation wavelength selection. This can greatly improve the effectiveness of Raman spectroscopy in biomedical research, especially in the field of drug design and development, medical diagnostics and disease monitoring and analysis.
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 7 August 2022
Published date: 11 August 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
We would like to thank the University of Southampton and the Astronautics Department for providing the resources to carry out this research as well as laboratory technicians, Mike Bartlett and Jon Kerly, for assisting with the supply of liquid nitrogen for the experiments.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 470021
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/470021
ISSN: 1759-9660
PURE UUID: aae48d87-f798-4106-85b1-e2fa34addb02
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Date deposited: 30 Sep 2022 16:42
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 21:53
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Contributors
Author:
Ariana Barbora Vitkova
Author:
Scott J.I. Walker
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