Hyper-Raman spectroscopy of the methyl group contributions to hydrogen bonding in DMSO-methanol mixtures

Hydrogen bonding plays an essential role in biological processes. In this report we apply hyper-Raman scattering spectroscopy to probe the effects of the alkyl groups on hydrogen bonding in mixtures of DMSO-methanol. We characterize the dependence of hyper-Raman spectra on concentration and observe suppression of the hyper-Raman responses of the methanol alkyl group at intermediate concentrations. In addition, small frequency shifts in the vibrational frequencies of DMSO and methanol were detected. These results provide new insights into the nature of the hydrogen bonding in solution and into the details of the hydrogen bond’s interaction with the alkyl groups.