Mode-specific vibrational energy relaxation of amide I' and II' modes in N-methylacetamide/water clusters: intra- and intermolecular energy transfer mechanisms.

The mode-specific vibrational energy relaxation of the amide I' and amide II' modes in NMA-d(1)/(D(2)O)(n) (n = 0-3) clusters were studied using the time-dependent perturbation theory at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pvdz level. The amide modes were identified for each cluster based on the potential energy distribution of each mode. The vibrational population relaxation time constants were derived for the amide I' and II' modes. Results for the amide I' mode relaxation of NMA-d(1)/(D(2)O)(3) agree well with previous experimental results. The energy relaxation pathways were identified, and both intra- and intermolecular mechanisms were found to be important. The amide II' mode was identified in the energy transfer pathways from the excited amide I' mode of NMA-d(1)/(D(2)O)(n) (n = 1-3) clusters. The modes associated with methyl group deformation were found to play a role in the mechanism of energy transfer from both excited amide I' and II' modes. The kinetics of energy flow in the cluster were examined by solving a master equation describing the vibrational energy relaxation process from excited system mode as a multistep reaction with the third order Fermi resonance parameters as the reaction rate constants. The intramolecular energy transfer mechanism was found to dominate the short time energy flow dynamics, whereas the intermolecular mechanism was found to be dominant at longer times.