Convenient detection of the thiol functional group using H/D isotope sensitive Raman spectroscopy.

Raman spectra of several thiols (amino acids, peptides and organic) show that the C-S-H bending mode (βCSH) shifts from ∼850 cm(-1) to ∼620 cm(-1) on deuteration of the thiol proton by simply dissolving them in D2O and CD3OD where detection by (1)H NMR is not possible. A nondestructive analytical tool for the detection of thiols in solid/neat and in solution is developed.