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We use nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy and computational predictions based on density functional theory (DFT) to explore the vibrational dynamics of (57)Fe in porphyrins that mimic the active sites of histidine-ligated heme proteins complexed with carbon monoxide. Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy yields the complete vibrational spectrum of a Mössbauer isotope, and provides a valuable probe that is not only selective for protein active sites but quantifies the mean-squared amplitude and direction of the motion of the probe nucleus, in addition to vibrational frequencies. Quantitative comparison of the experimental results with DFT calculations provides a detailed, rigorous test of the vibrational predictions, which in turn provide a reliable description of the observed vibrational features. In addition to the well-studied stretching vibration of the Fe-CO bond, vibrations involving the Fe-imidazole bond, and the Fe-N(pyr) bonds to the pyrrole nitrogens of the porphyrin contribute prominently to the observed experimental signal. All of these frequencies show structural sensitivity to the corresponding bond lengths, but previous studies have failed to identify the latter vibrations, presumably because the coupling to the electronic excitation is too small in resonance Raman measurements. We also observe the FeCO bending vibrations, which are not Raman active for these unhindered model compounds. The observed Fe amplitude is strongly inconsistent with three-body oscillator descriptions of the FeCO fragment, but agrees quantitatively with DFT predictions. Over the past decade, quantum chemical calculations have suggested revised estimates of the importance of steric distortion of the bound CO in preventing poisoning of heme proteins by carbon monoxide. Quantitative agreement with the predicted frequency, amplitude, and direction of Fe motion for the FeCO bending vibrations provides direct experimental support for the quantum chemical description of the energetics of the FeCO unit.

We use quantitative experimental and theoretical approaches to characterize the vibrational dynamics of the Fe atom in porphyrins designed to model heme protein active sites. Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) yields frequencies, amplitudes, and directions for 57Fe vibrations in a series of ferrous nitrosyl porphyrins, which provide a benchmark for evaluation of quantum chemical vibrational calculations. Detailed normal mode predictions result from DFT calculations on ferrous nitrosyl tetraphenylporphyrin Fe(TPP)(NO), its cation [Fe(TPP)(NO)]+, and ferrous nitrosyl porphine Fe(P)(NO). Differing functionals lead to significant variability in the predicted Fe-NO bond length and frequency for Fe(TPP)(NO). Otherwise, quantitative comparison of calculated and measured Fe dynamics on an absolute scale reveals good overall agreement, suggesting that DFT calculations provide a reliable guide to the character of observed Fe vibrational modes. These include a series of modes involving Fe motion in the plane of the porphyrin, which are rarely identified using infrared and Raman spectroscopies. The NO binding geometry breaks the four-fold symmetry of the Fe environment, and the resulting frequency splittings of the in-plane modes predicted for Fe(TPP)(NO) agree with observations. In contrast to expectations of a simple three-body model, mode energy remains localized on the FeNO fragment for only two modes, an N-O stretch and a mode with mixed Fe-NO stretch and FeNO bend character. Bending of the FeNO unit also contributes to several of the in-plane modes, but no primary FeNO bending mode is identified for Fe(TPP)(NO). Vibrations associated with hindered rotation of the NO and heme doming are predicted at low frequencies, where Fe motion perpendicular to the heme is identified experimentally at 73 and 128 cm-1. Identification of the latter two modes is a crucial first step toward quantifying the reactive energetics of Fe porphyrins and heme proteins.