Mössbauer Effect in Biomedical Research: Variations of Quadrupole Splitting in Relation to the Qualitative Changes of Biomolecules

Abstract

Abstract This review deals with studies of the variations of quadrupole splitting, electronic structure and stereochemistry of iron associated with qualitative changes of biomolecules. The possibility to determine various iron containing species resulting from the destruction of biomolecules using Mössbauer parameters is shown. A small change of iron stereochemistry leads to a small change of the iron electronic structure which could be detected by small changes of quadrupole splitting. It is expected that quadrupole splitting of iron gives new information for biomedical research on a molecular level.