ENDOR spectroscopic method

As most of the nitroxyl spin-labelled synthetic derivatives of conjugated polyenes are light yellow crystals, the bond lengths were determined by X-ray crystallography38. The spectroscopic method used to measure the conformation is electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR). It is beyond the scope of the present review to explain the method38 but the authors of the pertinent paper conclude that ENDOR is an accurate non-crystallographic method to determine polyene structures in solution. 

The relevant structural and chemical information on iron-sulfur proteins provided by EPR, ENDOR and Mossbauer techniques serves as an instructive example for the success of combining different types of spectroscopic methods. 

Information on the nature of the chemical environment of trace metal Ions adsorbed on clay minerals can be obtained by a number of spectroscopic methods, but the principal applications have used either XPS or ESR spectroscopy, or one of its related techniques, such as ENDOR and ESEM spectroscopy. 

As will be explained in Chapter 7, spectroscopic methods are a powerful way to probe the active sites of the hydrogenases. Often spectroscopic methods are greatly enhanced by judicious enrichment of the active sites with a stable isotope. For example, Mossbauer spectroscopy detects only the isotope Fe, which is present at only 2.2 per cent abundance in natural iron. Hydrogen atoms, which cannot be seen by X-ray diffraction for example, can be studied by EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy, which exploit the hyperfine interactions between the unpaired electron spin and nuclear spins. More detailed information has been derived from hyperfine interactions with nuclei such as Ni and Se, in the active sites. In FTTR spec-... 

A review of the Journal of Physical Chemistry A, volume 110, issues 6 and 7, reveals that computational chemistry plays a major or supporting role in the majority of papers. Computational tools include use of large Gaussian basis sets and density functional theory, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamics. There were quantum chemistry studies of complex reaction schemes to create detailed reaction potential energy surfaces/maps, molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics studies of larger chemical systems, and conformational analysis studies. Spectroscopic methods included photoelectron spectroscopy, microwave spectroscopy circular dichroism, IR, UV-vis, EPR, ENDOR, and ENDOR induced EPR. The kinetics papers focused on elucidation of complex mechanisms and potential energy reaction coordinate surfaces. 

A prototypical example of a molecular probe used extensively to study the mineral adsorbent-solution interface is the ESR spin-probe, Cu2+ (Sposito, 1993), whose spectroscopic properties are sensitive to changes in coordination environment. Since water does not interfere significantly with Cu11 ESR spectra, they may be recorded in situ for colloidal suspensions. Detailed, molecular-level information about coordination and orientation of both inner- and outer-sphere Cu2+ surface complexes has resulted from ESR studies of both phyllosilicates and metal oxyhydroxides. In addition, ESR techniques have been combined with closely related spectroscopic methods, like electron-spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), to provide complementary information about transition metal ion behaviour at mineral surfaces (Sposito, 1993). The level of sophistication and sensitivity of these kinds of surface speciation studies is increasing continually, such that the heterogeneous colloidal particles in soils can be investigated ever more accurately. 

ENDOR is a spectroscopic method used in studies of free radicals [122], and is used in modem studies on carotenoid cation radicals. 

ESR methods unambiguously establishes the presence of species bearing unpaired electrons (ion-radicals and radicals). The ESR spectrum quantitatively characterizes the distribution of electron density within the paramagnetic particle by a hyperfine structure of ESR spectra. This establishes the nature and electronic configuration of the particle. A review by Davies (2001) is highly recommended as a guide to current practice for ESR spectroscopic studies (this quotation is from the title of the review). The ESR method dominates in ion-radical studies. Its modern modifications, namely, ENDOR and electron-nuclear-nuclear triple resonance (TRIPLE) and special methods to observe ion-radicals by swiftness or stealth are described in special literatures (Moebius and Biehl 1979, Kurreck et al. 1988, Werst and Trifunac 1998). 

Valuable spectroscopic studies on the dithiolene chelated to Mo in various enzymes have been enhanced by the knowledge of the structure from X-ray diffraction. Plagued by interference of prosthetic groups—heme, flavin, iron-sulfur clusters—the majority of information has been gleaned from the DMSO reductase system. The spectroscopic tools of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), electronic ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) spectroscopy, resonance Raman (RR), MCD, and various electron paramagnetic resonance techniques [EPR, electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM), and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR)] have been particularly effective probes of the metal site. Of these, only MCD and RR have detected features attributable to the dithiolene unit. Selected results from a variety of studies are presented below, chosen because their focus is the Mo-dithiolene unit and organized according to method rather than to enzyme or type of active site. 

ENDOR, EPR imaging and high-frequency EPR, new and previously undreamed of prospects are likely to emerge. In many cases the spectroscopic data of interest cannot be obtained by any other method. This fact alone will ensure EPR a place as a dominant spectroscopic technique of major importance well into the future. 

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