In this article we report experimental results on Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) macromolecules and related biological materials in the submillimeter range (i.e., ∼10–500 cm−1). Film samples made from commercial DNA fibers, polyadenylic acid potassium salt, and cellular agents such as the spore form of Bacillus subtillis have been prepared and measured. A broad series of measurements carried out in the low frequency region (10–50 cm−1) with a higher resolution of 0.2 cm−1 revealed fine features—multiple dielectric resonances in the submillimeter-wave spectra obtained from DNA samples. These long-wave absorption features are shown to be intrinsic properties of biological materials determined by phonon modes. The emphasis is on reproducibility of experimental spectra and on receiving reliable results. The effects of differences in sample preparation, including sample geometry, orientation, and aging are studied and separated from the phonon effects that determine the ...

R.B. Dennis

Papers

Semiconductor opto-electronics. T. S. Moss, G. I. Burrell, B. Ellis Butterworth, 1973, pp 441, £8.50