Surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies on the interaction of phosphonate derivatives of imidazole, thiazole, and pyridine with a silver electrode in aqueous solution.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra from phosphonate derivatives of N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds immobilized on an electrochemically roughened silver electrode surface are reported and compared to Raman spectra of the corresponding solid species. The tested compounds contain imidazole [ImMeP ([hydroxy-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)-methyl]-phosphonic acid) and (ImMe)2P (bis[hydroxy-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)-methyl]-phosphinic acid)]; thiazole [BAThMeP ((butylamino-thiazol-2-yl-methyl)-phosphonic acid) and BzAThMeP ((benzylamino-thiazol-2-yl-methyl)-phosphonic acid)]; and pyridine ((PyMe)2P (bis[(hydroxy-pyridin-3-yl-methyl)]-phosphinic acid) aromatic rings. Changes in wavenumber, broadness, and the enhancement of N-heterocyclic aromatic ring bands upon adsorption are consistent with the adsorption primarily occurring through the N lone pair of electrons with the ring arranged in a largely edge-on manner for ImMeP and BzAThMeP or in a slightly inclined orientation to the silver electrode surface at an intermediate angle from the surface normal for (ImMe)2P, BAThMeP, and (PyMe)2P. A strong enhancement of a roughly 1500 cm(-1) SERS signal for ImMeP and (PyMe)2P is also observed. This phenomenon is attributed to the formation of a localized C=C bond, which is accompanied by a decrease in the ring-surface pi-electrons' overlap. In addition, more intense SERS bands due to the benzene ring in BzAThMeP are observed than those observed for the thiazole ring, which suggests a preferential adsorption of benzene. Some interaction of a phosphonate unit is also suggested but with moderate strength between biomolecules. The strength of the P=O coordination to the silver electrode is highest for ImMeP but lowest for BzAThMeP. For all studied biomolecules, the contribution of the structural components to their ability to interact with their receptors was correlated with the SERS patterns.