EAGER_IDBR: Development of a Two-Photon Circular Dichroism Spectrometer with Extreme Spectral Capabilities in the far UV (FUV-TPCD)

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During the last three decades electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy has been the standard technique for the study of the conformational and physicochemical properties of optically active biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and neurotransmitters, in solutions and at interfaces. The method presents important intrinsic limitations for the study of chiral molecules in solution and in inhomogeneous media in the far UV (FUV), a spectral region where important structural/conformational information can be obtained. In the FUV, the one-photon absorption (OPA) of standard aqueous buffer solutions and common solvents and the scattering present in inhomogeneous samples mask the ECD signal of chiral molecules, interfering with the acquisition of key information. In order to surmount the existent barriers, an analogous nonlinear approach based on two-photon absorption (TPA) has been proposed, i.e. two-photon circular dichroism (TPCD). The development of the novel TPCD spectrometer with spectral capability in the FUV (FUV-TPCD) will help expand the understanding of vital chiral biological molecules and macromolecules (amino acids, nucleotides, neurotransmitters, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids), their interactions, dynamic changes, and mode of action in fundamental processes as never before. In addition, FUV-TPCD could assist chemist and engineers in the understanding of the properties of optically active asymmetric catalysts and novel chiral metamaterials, among others. Fulfilling the NSF mission, this project contemplates the training of graduate and undergraduate students, as well as the promotion of physical sciences to high school students and teachers in the central Florida area. This project also promotes inclusiveness through the specific involvement of members of underrepresented groups, i.e. three females and two Hispanics. The main goal of this project is to expand the spectral capability of the TPCD spectrometer down to the FUV and set the bases for the development of a fully automated, compact, and robust FUV-TPCD spectrometer that would allow to perform structural and conformational analysis of key chiral biological systems in a region of the electromagnetic spectrum inaccessible by existent ECD spectrometers. To validate the proposed instrument in the FUV, the four main aromatic amino acids (Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Histidine and Tyrosine) will be used as model compounds. The rationale behind our primary goal is that the development and assessment of a tabletop FUV-TPCD spectrometer will set the bases for the construction of a fully automated, compact and robust spectrometer that could be commercialized and implemented in other labs, thus becoming accessible to a broad community of scientists in biology, chemistry, optics and nanosciences. Dissemination will be accomplished through facility tours offered to representatives of leader companies specialized in circular dichorism, development of new Wikibooks in FUV-TPCD, presentations at national and international meetings and through scientific publications, creating a unique instrument, open-access to potential users in central Florida through collaborations, and using the outreach program (BIOTEC) to reach the general public in central Florida. This award is made jointly by the Instrument Development for Biological Research program (IDBR) in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (Directorate: Biology) and the Chemical Measurements and Imaging program (CMI) in the Division of Chemistry (Directorate: Math and Physical Sciences).