Propriedades estruturais e eletrônicas do cristal L-fenilalanina ácido nítrico e estudo vibracional sob condições extremas de pressão e temperatura

Abstract

The L-phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that takes part of several bio chemicals processes related to the production of some human proteins and enzymes. This essential amino acid is converted into the L-tyrosine amino acid by means of the L-phenylalanine hydroxilase. Amino acids are interesting materials for non linear optics (NLO) applications as they contain a proton donor carboxylic acid (COOH) group and a proton acceptor amine (NH2) group. In the present work, a systematic investigation has been carried out on L-phenylalanine nitric acid [C9H11NO2.C9H11NO2+.NO3-] (LPN) single crystal obtained by slow evaporation at room temperature. This work shows studies performed in a pure atomistic way by computation simulation, on the electronic and optical properties, using method of density functional theory. The crystal was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) and Fourier Transform Raman (FT-Raman) analysis. The results of the X-ray diffraction data were analyzed by the Rietveld method. Single crystal data refinement of the LPN crystal shows that this compound grows with a monoclinic structure belonging to the P21 space group with two molecules per unit cell. The calculated lattice parameter is in good agreement with the experimental results. The Mulliken and Hirschfield charges show the zwiterrionic state of the LPN crystal in the DFT converged crystals. The band gap of LPN crystal is indirect and its energy is ~3.55 eV. The 2p orbitals are the largest contributors to the density of states, suggesting that the crystal behaves like an n-type wide gap insulator. We have characterized the LPN crystal at room temperature by means of the FT-IR in the spectral range between 400 cm-1 to 4000 cm-1 and by means of FT-Raman in the spectral range between 50 cm-1 to 3500 cm-1. There was no Raman band observed in the spectral interval between 1700 cm-1 to 2700 cm-1. For wavenumber greater than 3100 cm-1, there was no Raman band. In the range between 2850 cm-1and 3100 cm-1, it observed stretching modes associated with C-H and C-H2 units. Finally, single-crystal samples of LPN were studied by Raman spectroscopy in a diamond-anvil cell up to pressures of ~ 8.0 GPa. From the analysis of the results we observed that the crystal undergoes a phase transition at about 0.6 GPa. The transition is accompanied by the disappearance of a phonon in the external mode region of the spectrum and by changes of both the wavenumber of NH3+ rocking and CH2 rocking vibrations.