A high optical density holographic notch filter in combination with a
single-grating spectrograph was used to increase the spectral range fo
r backscattered Raman optical activity (ROA) measurements of biologica
l molecules in aqueous solution towards lower wavenumber. ROA spectra
Of D-galaCtose, D-maltose and laminarin starting at ca. 350 cm-1 are p
resented as first examples. An ROA couplet observed at 427 +/- 10 cm-1
in the spectra of D-maltose, D-cellobiose and laminarin appears to re
flect the configuration of glycosidic links in di- and polysaccharides
.