SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY OF FLAVINS AND FLAVOPROTEINS

Address of Lee and Morris: Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.Author Institution:The N(3) anions of flavins are shown to be responsible for surface enhancement of Raman spectra on silver colloids. Studies of N(3) substituted flavins, N (3) deuterated flavins and pH effects will be discussed. The anion requires direct contact with the silver metal surface for enhancement Their orientation is shown to be perpendicular to the metal surface. SER spectra from flavoproteins arise from released flavins by dissociation, not from the intact flavoproteins. SERS on colloids is shown to be a useful chemical diagnostic for traces of free flavins in solution with limited applicability to study of flavoproteins