Fragmentation of proline induced by slow electrons

Proline (Pro, H9C4NO2) is an imino-acid implicated in the structure of proteins. Here, we show the ability of low-energy (<12 eV) electrons, predominantly produced at the very early time along the ionization tracks, to effectively decompose the imino-acid via dissociative electron attachment. The decomposition of Pro produces various negatively charged fragments attributed to dehydrogenated proline (Pro–H)−, glycil-yl−, (HCO2)−, CN−, OH− and O− ions and their respective neutral counterparts. The present information contributes to a better comprehension of the alteration of proteins induced by radiation.