ABSORPTION AND FLUORESCENCE SPECTRA OF CHLOROPHYLL-a IN POLAR SOLVENTS AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE

Abstract— Absorption and fluorescence spectra of chlorphyll-a in aqueous alcohol were determined as a function of temperature between 173° and 293°K. From a comparison of these spectra with ones obtained in pure methanol, it is suggested that changes in molecular association occur within aggregates of chlorophyll-a in aqueous-alcoholic solution induced by variation of the dielectric constant. The latter varies over a wide range in aqueous alcohol as a function of temperature.     

Temperature-induced reversal of proton tautomerism: role of hydrogen bonding and aggregation in 7-hydroxyquinolines

UV-vis absorption spectra of 7-hydroxyquinolines in saturated hydrocarbon solvents were measured at various temperatures between 293 and 77 K. The tautomeric equilibrium was found to reverse when the temperature was lowered. At 293 K, the enol form was exclusively present. As the temperature was lowered, the enol form decreased substantially, and the keto form became predominant. A close examination of the spectral changes suggests that the reversal of the tautomeric equilibrium at lower temperatures proceeds in two steps: aggregation of the enol forms by intermolecular hydrogen bonding and further aggregation of the hydrogen-bonded aggregates.     

THE PRIMARY REACTION IN THE PHOTOREDUCTION OF PROTOCHLOROPHYLLIDE MONITORED BY NANOSECOND FLUORESCENCE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract— Time resolved fluorescence measurements, carried out on protochlorophyllide reductase enriched membranes from oat ( Avena sativa ), are described. A fast (1 ns at 293 K) decaying fluorescence component is assigned to the photoactive NADPH-protochlorophyllide-enzyme complex, while a slower (5 ns) component is ascribed to non-photoactive protochlorophyllide. The results are interpreted in terms of a new fast primary step in the light requiring step of chlorophyll synthesis. The temperature dependence of the rate of this reaction has been studied by measuring the decay time of the fast fluorescence component at various temperatures from 77 to 293 K. Complete spectra of the kinetic fluorescence components have been measured at 293, 160 and 77 K.     

Cooperative effects in the photophysical properties of self-associated triguanosine diphosphates

The present study deals with the photophysical properties of triguanosine diphosphate in aqueous solutions, which are compared with those of the 2'-deoxyguanosine monophosphate. They are studied by steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy with femtosecond resolution. The temperature, salt and concentration dependence of the absorption and fluorescence spectra reveal that association of the trimers takes place. The resulting aggregates could correspond to a tetraplex structure. The aggregate fluorescence quantum yield is higher and the fluorescence lifetime much longer than those of the monomer. These results show the interaction between guanosine residues that may manifest itself via self-solvation, hydrogen bonding and/or delocalization of the excitation.     

Synthesis and aggregation behavior of perylenetetracarboxylic diimide trimers with different substituents at bay positions

Three perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) trimers substituted with different side groups at the bay positions were prepared with the triazine ring as a linkage. The free rotation of C-N-C bonds between the triazine ring and the PDI unit provide these molecules with some flexibility. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra of these three compounds show different concentration-dependent behaviors, which depend on the side groups at the bay positions. Significant aggregation in organic solvents was revealed by the electronic absorption and emission spectra as well as the fluorescence quantum yield calculation. The aggregation behavior of these compounds in the solid state were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the morphology of the aggregates was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The aggregation of trimer 1 with two phenoxy groups at the 1 and 7 positions results in long nanofibers whereas trimers 2 and 3 with dipiperidinyl groups or tetraphenoxyl groups at the bay positions form only particles. The results of this research revealed that PDI trimers with flexible structures can also self-assemble into large ordered aggregates such as those with rigid structure. This information is believed to be useful in the design of novel nanoorganic materials.     

Luminescence and nonradiative relaxation of Pb2+, Sn2+, Sb3+, and Bi3+ in oxide glasses

Absorption and fluorescence spectra of Sn²⁺ and Sb³⁺ in borax, phosphate, and germanate glasses were measured in the temperature range 87–295°K. Fluorescence decay times of these ions in borax glass at 87°K was a single exponent with τ ≈ 6–11 μsec. At 293°K, two decay times were resolved in the range of 50–2000 nsec. The nonexponential behavior is interpreted by the repopulation of the ³P₁ level from the ³P₀ level. The temperature dependence of fluorescence and the low values of quantum efficiencies of fluorescence are explained by means of the configurational coordinate diagram model.     

Efficient energy transfer from the long-wavelength antenna chlorophylls to P700 in photosystem I complexes from Spirulina platensis

To study the role of the long-wavelength chlorophylls (Chl) in photosystem I (PSI), the action spectra of P700 photooxidation at 293 and 77 K have been measured for PSI trimeric and monomeric complexes isolated from Spirulina platensis. The long-wavelength Chls which absorb in the region 710dash740 nm transfer excitation energy to the reduced P700 with the same efficiency as bulk antenna Chls, causing the oxidation of P700. The relative quantum yield of P700 photooxidation is about unity (293-77 K) even under the direct excitation of Chl absorbing at 735 nm (Chl735). At 77 K Chl735 exhibits a fluorescence band at 760 nm (F760) whose intensity is quenched under illumination of the PSI trimeric complexes from Spirulina. The relative quantum yield of F760 quenching is not dependent on the wavelength of excitation in the region 620–750 nm. Since the value of the overlap integral between the band of F760 and the absorption band of the cation radical of P700 (P700⁺) is higher than that of the P700 band, it is suggested that Chl735 transfers energy to P700⁺ more efficiently than to reduced P700; energy transfer to P700⁺ causes the quenching of F760. A linear relationship between the photooxidation rate of P700 and the fraction of P700⁺ at 293 K indicates that the energy exchange between PSI subunits of the trimer is negligible. Thus, the antenna of PSI trimers of Spirulina is organized in separate photosynthetic units.     

Water-soluble Porphyrin as Temperature Sensor Based on Fluorescent Enhancement

A novel water-soluble porphyrin[5,10,15,20-tetra（3-ethoxy-4-hydroxy-5-sulfonate）phenyl porphyrin, H2TEHPPS] was designed and synthesized, which could be used as a potential fluorescence sensor to detect temperature changes. The studies were performed in solution phase and the concentration of H2TEHPPS was 2.0×10^-5 mol/L. The optical properties of H2TEHPPS were investigated based on the UV and fluorescence spectra. The results show that the fluorescence intensity of H2TEHPPS is directly proportional to temperature in the range of 293-353 K So H,TEHPPS can be used as a molecular temoerature sensor in biomedical and other fields.     

Single- and two-photon excited fluorescence in organic nonlinear optical single crystal 3-(1,1-dicyanoethenyl)-1-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole

Fluorescence of nonlinear optical organic single crystal of 3-(1,1-dicyanoethenyl)-1-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole (DCNP) excited by a nonabsorbed light pulses from Q-switched Nd:YAG laser λ = 1064 nm as well as absorbed λ = 532 nm light is reported. Two mechanisms of two-photon excited fluorescence are considered: (i) direct two-photon excited fluorescence and (ii) single-photon excitation due to reabsorption of light generated in process of second harmonic generation (SHG) by the crystal due to its nonlinear optical properties. Strong anisotropy of fluorescence that has been observed is linked with uniaxial molecular alignment. Fluorescence decay profile shows two- exponential decay with lifetimes of emitting species of 3.7 and 5.6 ns at 293 K. The excitation and fluorescence spectra of the DCNP single crystal have been measured at 294 K and in function of temperature down to 77.4 K. The strong bathochromic shift of fluorescence spectrum in crystal with respect to fluorescence of DCNP molecule in solution is observed and interpreted with possible formation of molecular aggregates.     

LOW-TEMPERATURE LUMINESCENCE SPECTRA AND FLUORESCENCE LIFETIMES OF POLYCYTIDYLIC ACID IN POLYALCOHOLIC GLASSES

Abstract— Corrected emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes of polycytidylic acid in ethylene glycol: water glass at low temperatures are reported. Luminescence properties observed exhibit a strong dependence on pH and temperature. At neutral pH a vibronic structure of a blue part of the fluorescence spectrum is revealed when temperature is changed from 77 to 10 K, confirming that a monomer component of fluorescence is present. There is also a strong difference in decay of a red-shifted excimer fluorescence at 10 K at pH 7 and pH 3.9, reflecting a different protonation of cytosine residues and different conformations of polynucleotides in such conditions.     

TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE PHOSPHORESCENCE LIFETIMES OF HETEROGENEOUS TRYPTOPHAN RESIDUES IN GLOBULAR PROTEINS BETWEEN 293 AND 77 K

Abstract— The phosphorescence of five globular proteins containing tryptophan residues was observed in deoxygenated neutral ethylene glycol-phosphate buffer (1:1 by volume) at 293 and 77 K. Their spectral features at 293 K are closely identical to those at 77 K apart from a lack of tyrosine phosphorescence at 293 K. and are independent of the excitation wavelength between 250 and 310 nm. From the present results. it can be concluded that the buried tryptophan residues are the only phosphorescing centers at room temperature. Their phosphorescence lifetimes were measured as a function of temperature in the range from 77 to 293 K. At room temperature, their phosphorescence lifetimes are between about 1 and 500 ms. On the basis of their temperature dependence, the heterogeneous tryptophan environments are discussed in terms of a temperature-activated nonradiative rate. We suggest that the observation of the phosphorescence characteristics of globular proteins containing tryptophan residues buried in the interior of the protein molecule at room temperature is likely to prove useful in probing the protein structure in solution.     

Steps to demarcate the effects of chromophore aggregation and planarization in poly(phenyleneethynylene)s. 2. The photophysics of 1,4-diethynyl-2-fluorobenzene in solution and in crystals

Crystals of 1,4-bis(2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-butynyl)-2-fluorobenzene 4 have a rich packing structure with four distinct molecules in the unit cell. A complex hydrogen bonding network results in the formation of cofacial trimers, cofacial dimers, and monomers within the same unit cell. Given a remarkable opportunity to investigate the effect of aggregation on the photophysics of 1,4-diethynylbenzenes, we analyzed the absorption, diffuse reflectance, and emission spectra of compound 4 in solutions and in crystals. Diffuse reflectance and fluorescence excitation revealed a red-shifted absorption that is absent in dilute solution but becomes observable at high concentrations and low temperatures. The fluorescence emission in the solid state is dual with components assigned to monomers and aggregates. The excitation and emission assigned to the monomer are nearly identical in crystals and dilute solutions. The absorption and emission bands assigned to aggregates are broad and red-shifted by 60--80 nm. As expected for a sample with absorbers and emitters with different energies and incomplete equilibration, efficient monomer-to-aggregate energy transfer was observed by a proper selection of excitation wavelengths. The fluorescence quantum yield of 4 in solution is relatively low (Phi(F) = 0.15) and the singlet lifetime short (tau(F) = 3.8 ns). A lower limit for the triplet yield of Phi(T) = 0.64 was determined indirectly in solution by (1)O(2) sensitization, and a relatively strong and long-lived phosphorescence was observed in low-temperature glasses and in crystals at 77 K.     

Homo- and heteronuclear alkali metal trimers formed on helium nanodroplets. Part I. Vibronic spectra simulations based on ab initio calculations

We compare the 3(4)A(1) and 4(4)B(2) states of homonuclear and heteronuclear alkali trimers formed of potassium and rubidium. The Multireference Rayleigh Schr?dinger Perturbation Theory of second order is applied to obtain the corresponding adiabatic potential energy surfaces. In the case of homonuclear trimers these pairs of states correspond to the two branches of the E?e Jahn-Teller distorted 2(4)E' state. For heteronuclear trimers, the vibrational modes Q(x) and Q(y) are no longer degenerate, but the two electronic states still show a conical intersection at obtuse (KRb(2)) or acute (K(2)Rb) isosceles geometries. Spectroscopic consequences of this situation are discussed, vibronic spectra are predicted and compared to laser-induced fluorescence spectra obtained in helium droplet isolation spectroscopy experiments of our group.     

Dendrimers with a Pentaphenylene Core: A Photophysical Study

Novel dendrimers G2PC and G4PC consisting of a p‐pentaphenylene core ( PC ) appended in the para position with two second‐generation ( G2 ) or two fourth‐generation ( G4 ) sulfonimide branches and two n‐octyl chains, as well as a model compound of the pentaphenylene core ( G0PC ), are prepared. The photophysical properties (absorption, emission, and excitation spectra; fluorescence decay lifetime; and fluorescence anisotropy spectra) of the three compounds are investigated under different experimental conditions (dichloromethane solution and solid state at 293 K, dichloromethane/methanol rigid matrix at 77 K). In the absorption spectra contributions from both the branches and the core can be clearly identified. The fluorescence spectra show only the characteristic fluorescence of the pentaphenylene unit with λ_max around 410 nm in fluid solution and 420 nm in the solid state. In solution the fluorescence quantum yields are 0.78, 0.76, and 0.72 for G0PC , G2PC , and G4PC , respectively, and the fluorescence lifetime is about 0.7 ns in all cases. Energy transfer from the chromophoric groups of the dendrimer branches to the core does not occur. The three compounds show the same, high steady‐state anisotropy value (0.35) in dilute rigid‐matrix solution at 77 K. In dichloromethane at 293 K, the increasing anisotropy values along the series G0PC (0.17), G2PC (0.27), and G4PC (0.32), with increasing molecular volume of the three compounds, show that depolarization takes place by molecular rotation. In the solid state the anisotropy is very low (0.015, 0.017, and 0.035 for G0PC , G2PC , and G4PC , respectively), probably because of fast depolarization via energy migration.     

Evolution of absorption, fluorescence, laser and chemical properties in the series of compounds perylene, benzo(ghi)perylene and coronene.

Absorption. fluorescence and laser properties of perylene, benzo(ghi)perylene and coronene are studied experimentally (under the same conditions) and quantum chemically at room (293 K) and at low (77 and 4 K) temperatures and direct comparison is made between the results for each molecule. All the main absorption and fluorescence parameters such as oscillator strength, fe, quantum yield, gamma, decay time, tauf, fluorescence rate constant, kf (Einstein coefficient, A) and intersystem crossing rate constant, kST, are measured or calculated. The systems of singlet and triplet levels for these compounds are simulated and analyzed. Triplet states mixing with the lowest singlet S1 state are determined. The low values of kST found are explained. The possible vibronic coupling in the molecule coronene is discussed. The nature of the three fluorescence bands of coronene observed is interpreted. The change in the arrangement of the singlet and triplet levels of the studied compounds is interpreted quantum-chemically. It is found that at room temperature (293 K), only perylene shows laser action, while all three compounds show good laser oscillation at low temperature (< 100 K). The differences in the laser properties of these compounds are explained by the inversion of the Sp(1La) and Sinfinity(1Lb) levels which occurs in the transition from perylene to benzo(ghi)perylene. Chemical properties of the compounds studied are outlined. Linear and quasi-linear fluorescence spectra of perylene and benzo(ghi)perylene, obtained at 77 and 4 K. can be used in the identification of these compounds.     

Quenching of chlorophyll a singlets and triplets by carotenoids in light-harvesting complex of photosystem II: comparison of aggregates with trimers

Laser-induced changes in the absorption spectra of isolated light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex (LHC II) associated with photosystem II of higher plants have been recorded under anaerobic conditions and at ambient temperature by using multichannel detection with sub-microsecond time resolution. Difference spectra (ΔA) of LHC II aggregates have been found to differ from the corresponding spectra of trimers on two counts: (i) in the aggregates, the carotenoid (Car) triplet–triplet absorption band (ΔA>0) is red-shifted and broader; and (ii) the features attributable to the perturbation of the Q_y band of a chlorophyll a (Chla) by a nearby Car triplet are more pronounced, than in trimers. Aggregation, which is known to be accompanied by a reduction in the fluorescence yield of Chla, is shown to cause a parallel decline in the triplet formation yield of Chla; on the other hand, the efficiency (100%) of Chla-to-Car transfer of triplet energy and the lifetime (9.3 μs) of Car triplets are not affected by aggregation. These findings are rationalized by postulating that the antenna Cars transact, besides light-harvesting and photoprotection, a third process: energy dissipation within the antenna. The suggestion is advanced that luteins, which are buried inside the LHC II monomers, as well as the other, peripheral, xanthophylls (neoxanthin and violaxanthin) quench the excited singlet state of Chla by catalyzing internal conversion, a decay channel that competes with fluorescence and intersystem crossing; support for this explanation is presented by recalling reports of similar behaviour in bichromophoric model compounds in which one moiety is a Car and the other a porphyrin or a pyropheophorbide.     

RESOLUTION ENHANCEMENT AND DECONVOLUTION INTO VIBRONIC BANDS OF THE FLUORESCENCE AND ABSORPTION SPECTRA IN THE RED REGION OF DILUTE SOLUTIONS OF CHLOROPHYLL a IN VARIOUS SOLVENTS

Abstract— The fluorescence spectra of chlorophyll a in less than 10–⁶ mol dm^-3 solutions of benzene, toluene, tetrahydrofurane, EPA and ethanol were determined at both room temperature and at 77 K. Resolution enhancement using Fourier transform methods revealed the presence of vibronic bands with essentially solvent-invariant separation between their origins; this was confirmed by the quantitative deconvolution of the spectra into Gaussian bands. It was concluded that the fluorescence is due to a single spectroscopically distinct species. The absorption spectra in the above solvents include a band absent from the fluorescence spectra which, from its position and intensity, may be identified as the longest wavelength X-polarized electronic transition of chlorophyll a. Differences observed between the shapes of the low-and high-temperature absorption spectra may be attributed primarily to the narrowing of bandwidths with decreasing temperature and to intensity redistribution within the bands; the apparent increase in the integrated intensity on cooling the solutions appears to be due largely to the increase in the volume concentration of the solute as a result of solvent contraction.     

SPECTRAL INHOMOGENEITY OF THE LIGHT-HARVESTING ANTENNA OF Rhodospirillum rubrum PROBED BY TRIPLET-MINUS-SINGLET SPECTROSCOPY AND SINGLET-TRIPLET ANNIHILATION AT LOW TEMPERATURES

–Triplet-minus-singlet (T-S) spectra and singlet-triplet annihilation was measured on Rhodospirillum rub-rum chromatophores at low temperatures (4–77K). The T-S spectrum of the LH-1 antenna was dependent on the wavelength of excitation and thus indicative of site-inhomogeneous broadening. The data cannot be understood adequately using the two pigment pool model (B880 + B896) but, in contrast, support a model for LH-1, in which the spectral properties are determined by site-inhomogeneous broadening. Consequently, the 4 K antenna domain for singlet-triplet annihilation in LH-1 is rather small. If the temperature is raised to 77 K the annihilation domain increases, and a fit of the fluorescence quenching and triplet yield data suggests that at 77 K the connectivity is between the extreme cases of the “lake” and the isolated “puddles” models. The implications of the observed antenna inhomogeneity on low temperature annihilation and fluorescence measurements are discussed.     

Optical constants of HNO3/H2O and H2SO4/HNO3/H2O at low temperatures in the infrared region

The complex index of refraction of liquid HNO3/H2O and H2SO4/HNO3/H2O has been obtained at different temperatures and acid concentrations. FT-IR specular reflectance spectra were obtained for 30, 54, and 64 wt % aqueous HNO3 and for four different H2SO4/HNO3/H2O mixtures in the temperature region from 293 to 183 K. The complex index of refraction was obtained from the reflectance spectra with the Kramers-Kronig transformation. The optical constants of the binary and ternary mixtures vary with the acid concentration and the temperature. The results demonstrate that vibrational bands originating from the sulfate species are more sensitive to changes in temperature than the bands originating from vibrations in the nitrate species; only minor changes in the nitrate vibrational bands are observed as the temperature decreases below 248 K.     

Fluorescence spectra of naphthalene-perdeuteronaphthalene mixed crystals - energy transfer via guest excitons

The fluorescence spectra of the mixed crystal system naphthalene in perdeuteronaphthalene at concentrations between 0.1 and 50% have been measured with high spectral resolution. Up to 10% the spectra are superpositions of the spectra of monomers, pairs, trimers and some higher aggregates. The relative intensities of these individual aggregate spectra given evidence for trap to trap energy transfer without thermal excitation into the host exciton band. The monomers as the most abundant traps form a dilute exciton band 50 cm^?1 below the host band. By thermal activation into this dilute band energy is transferred between the aggregate states. In the 50% crystal emission from a mixed guest-host exciton band without individual clusters is observed.