Two-dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy of a Model Peptide Homodimer

A pair of peptide groups in space, as modeled by formamide dimer, was used to evaluate vibrational coupling between the amide-I modes and the spatial behavior of the coupling using ab initio quantum chemical calculations. It was found that the coupling between two C=O groups, which is electrostatic in nature, is still quite signiˉcant as the intermolecular distance reaches 10 oA. One- and two-dimensional infrared spectra of the dimer at several conˉgurations were calculated using a vibrational exciton model that utilizes the abinitio computation-obtained parameters. The distance dependence of the coupling is dramatically shown in both the 1D and 2D infrared spectral features. The results suggest that the C=O stretching modes in polypeptide can be coupled and their states can be delocalized over quite a long distance in space.