| Abstract: | Vibrational CD (VCD) and ir absorption data are reported for a series of films of Boc-(L -Ala)n-OMe homo-oligopeptides (n = 3–7) in the amide I and A regions. The data evidenced a sharp change between n = 3 and n = 4, which parallels the onset of β-structure formation, and another between n = 5 and n = 6, which parallels the full development of β-structure. This represents the first report of the application of VCD to oligopeptide conformation. The data resembled earlier reported film VCD studies of higher-molecular-weight polypeptides of known β-structure. |
