High-pressure Raman spectra of thymidine crystals

Raman spectra of thymidine crystal were obtained for pressures up to 5.0 GPa in a diamond anvil cell. The results show the presence of anomaly in the Raman spectrum at pressures close to 3.0 GPa. This anomaly is characterized by disappearance of lattice modes, appearance of some internal modes, splitting of high wavenumbers modes, downshift of modes associated with hydrogen bonds, changes in the intensity of internal modes and discontinuities of the slopes of the wavenumbers versus pressure for several Raman modes. This set of modifications was interpreted as consequence of a phase transition undergone by thymidine close to 3.0 GPa. Further, decompression to atmospheric pressure generates the original Raman spectrum, showing that the pressure-induced phase transition undergone by thymidine crystals is reversible. A comparison with results on other nucleosides submitted to high pressure is also furnished.