Observation of Fourier transform near-infrared vibrational circular dichroism to 6150 cm-1

We report here the first measurement of near-infrared (NIR) vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) with Fourier transform (FT) instrumentation. The measurements were carried out using a commercial rapid-scan FT-IR VCD spectrometer modified for operation in the NIR region between 3750 and 6150 cm-1. Overtone and combination band VCD intensities, first reported by Keiderling and Stephens using dispersive VCD instrumentation in 1976, were reproduced with equivalent signal quality and spectral resolution using collection times of only a few minutes. These results offer substantial promise for the routine use of rapid-scan FT instrumentation for the measurement of overtone and combination band VCD spectra in the NIR region.