Low-Temperature Raman Spectra of l-Histidine Crystals.

We present a Raman spectroscopy investigation of the vibrational properties of l-histidine crystals at low temperatures. The temperature dependence of the spectra show discontinuities at 165 K, which we identify with modifications in the bonds associated to both the NH and CO motifs indicative of a conformational phase transition that changes the intermolecular bonds. Additional evidence of such a phase transition is provided by differential scanning calorimetry measurements, which identified an enthalpic anomaly at ∼165 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]