Laser microwave spectroscopy molecular crystals

Similar to 2DR, ribose (C5H5O5) is one of the most important monosaccharides since it constitutes a subunit of the backbone of RNA. NMR studies have shown that ribose in solution is a mixture of a- and p-pyranose and a- and p-furanose forms, the p-pyranose form being predominant. The recently settled crystal structures have shown that the a- and P-pyranose forms are present in the solid phase [239-243]. The structure in the gas phase has been experimentally investigated using a laser ablation molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy (LA-MBFTMW) technique [62]. The high resolution rotational spectrum has provided structural information on a total of six rotamers of ribose, three belonging to the a-pyranose forms and other three to the P-pyranose forms. Recently, D-ribose (m.p. 95°C) has been submitted to a laser ablation broadband (CP-FTMW) spectroscopic study and eight conformers (two new a-pyranose forms) have been identified. A broadband section of the spectra is shown in Fig. 35 and the detected conformers depicted in Fig. 36. 

Fig. 7.28 Heterodyne spectroscopy with two lasers, stabilized onto two molecular transitions. The difference frequency, generated in a nonlinear crystal, is either measured or a second downconversion is used by mixing with a microwave...

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