Picosecond time resolved resonance Raman studies on hemoglobin: Implications for reactivity.

We report the first picosecond time resolved Raman spectra of hemoglobin (Hb) generated with blue picosecond pulses (20- 30 ps) that are both resonant with the Soret band and of sufficient intensity to completely photodissociate the starting ligated sample. It is observed that for both R and T state ligated Hb's, the peak frequencies in the spectrum of the deoxy transient are the same at 20 to 30 ps as those observed at 10 ns subsequent to photodissociation.