Terahertz spectroscopy of L-proline in reverse aqueous micelles

A new method for obtaining room-temperature terahertz (THz) absorption spectra of aqueous-phase biomolecules in the frequency range 1-21 THz (35 cm(-1)-700 cm(-1)) is reported. The spectrum for L-proline was acquired by solvating the amino acid within the nanometer-sized interior water pool of reverse micelles dispersed in transparent n-heptane. Terahertz spectra of H2O, D2O and the effect of L-proline concentration and micelle size are discussed, and the results are compared to spectra of solid-phase L-proline and Gaussian calculations. Published by Elsevier B. V.