Conformational Analysis of Catecholamines-Raman, High Resolution NMR, and Conformational Energy Calculation Study

摘要

The conformational analysis has been done for catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) in the cationic and di-anionic states. The species responsible for adsorption on silver metal surface is anionic deprotonated at hydroxyl groups of catechol moiety, i.e., di-anionic states of catecholamines. This was deduced from Fourier-transform Raman spectra of sodium salts of catecholamines. High resolution proton NMR (400 MHz) spectra of catecholamines in basic and neutral D2O solution show that the conformations of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the di-anionic states are preferred in gauche, but not for dopamine in the di-anionic state. However the energy difference between trans and gauche of catecholamines in the protonated cationic states is small enough to rotate freely through C-C bond in ethylamine moiety. The conformational calculations using an empirical potential function and the hydration shell model (a program CONBIO) show consistent with above experimental results. The calculations suggest that the species of catecholamines adsorbed on silver metal surface would be in favor of the gauche conformations.