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Methionine (Met) cationized with Zn2+, forming Zn (Met-H)+(ACN) where ACN = acetonitrile, Zn (Met-H)+, and ZnCl+(Met), as well as Cd2+, forming CdCl+(Met), were examined by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy using light generated from the FELIX free electron laser. A series of low-energy conformers for each complex was found using quantum-chemical calculations in order to identify the structures formed experimentally. For all four complexes, spectral comparison indicated that the main binding motif observed is a charge solvated, tridentate structure where the metal center binds to the backbone amino group nitrogen, backbone carbonyl oxygen (where the carboxylic acid is deprotonated in two of the Zn2+ complexes), and side-chain sulfur. For all species, the predicted ground structures reproduce the experimental spectra well, although low-lying conformers characterized by similar binding motifs may also contribute in each system. The current work provides valuable information regarding the binding interaction between Met and biologically relevant metals. Further, the comparison between the current work and previous analyses involving alkali metal cationized Met as well as cysteine (the other sulfur containing amino acid) cationized with Zn2+ and Cd2+ allows for the elucidation of important metal dependent trends associated with physiologically important metal-sulfur binding.

The present work explores the structures of species formed by dehydrogenation of methane (CH4) and perdeuterated methane (CD4) by the 5d transition metal cation osmium (Os+). Using infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT), the structures of the [Os,C,2H]+ and [Os,C,2D]+ products are explored. This study complements previous work on the related species formed by dehydrogenation of methane by four other 5d transition metal cations (M+ = Ta+, W+, Ir+, and Pt+). Osmium cations are formed in a laser ablation source, react with methane pulsed into a reaction channel downstream, and the resulting products spectroscopically characterized through photofragmentation using the Free-Electron Laser for IntraCavity Experiments (FELICE) in the 300–1800 cm−1 range. Photofragmentation was monitored by the loss of H2/D2. Comparison of the experimental spectra and DFT calculated spectra leads to identification of the ground state carbyne hydride, HOsCH+ (2A′) as the species formed, as previously postulated theoretically. Further, a full description of the systematic spectroscopic shifts observed for deuterium labeling of these complexes, some of the smallest systems to be studied using IRMPD action spectroscopy, is achieved. A full rotational contour analysis explains the observed linewidths as well as the observation of doublet structures in several bands, consistent with previous observations for HIrCH+ (2A′).

Complexes of glutamic acid (Glu) cationized with Zn2+ and Cd2+ were examined by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy using light generated from a free electron laser. Complexes of deprotonated Glu with Zn2+, [Zn(Glu-H)ACN](+) (where ACN = acetonitrile, CH3CN), and intact Glu with CdCl+, CdCl+(Glu) were formed. Notably, photodissociation induces Glu fragmentation rather than ACN loss in the Zn2+ complex. In order to identify the structures formed experimentally, the experimentally obtained spectra were compared to those calculated from optimized structures at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level for [Zn(Glu-H)ACN](+) and B3LYP/def2-TZVP level with an SDD effective core potential on cadmium for the CdCl+(Glu) system. The main binding motif observed for the heavy metal complex is a charge solvated, tridentate [N, COs, CO] structure where the metal binds to the backbone amino group and carbonyl oxygens of the side-chain and backbone carboxylic acid groups. The Zn2+ system similarly prefers a [N, CO-, COs] binding motif, where binding is observed at one oxygen of the backbone carboxylate site along with the backbone amino and side-chain carbonyl groups. In both cases, the theoretically determined lowest-energy conformers explain the experimental [Zn(Glu-H)ACN](+) and CdCl+(Glu) spectra well.