Self-assembled aggregates of the carotenoid zeaxanthin: Time-resolved study of excited states

In this study, we present a way of controlling the formation of the two types of zeaxanthin aggregates in hydrated ethanol: J-zeaxanthin (head-to-tail aggregate, characteristic absorption band at 530 nm) and H-zeaxanthin (card-pack aggregate, characteristic absorption band at 400 nm). To control whether J- or H- zeaxanthin is formed, three parameters are important: (1) pH, that is, the ability to form a hydrogen bond; (2) the initial concentration of zeaxanthin, that is, the distance between zeaxanthin molecules; and (3) the ratio of ethanol/water. To create H-aggregates, the ability to form hydrogen bonds is crucial, while J-aggregates are preferentially formed when hydrogen-bond formation is prevented. Further, the formation of J-aggregates requires a high initial zeaxanthin concentration and a high ethanol/water ratio, while H-aggregates are formed under the opposite conditions. Time-resolved experiments revealed that excitation of the 530-nm band of J-zeaxanthin produces a different relaxation pattern than excitation at 485 and 400 nm, showing that the 530-nm band is not a vibrational band of the S2 state but a separate excited state formed by J-type aggregation. The excited-state dynamics of zeaxanthin aggregates are affected by annihilation that occurs in both J- and H-aggregates. In H-aggregates, the dominant annihilation component is on the subpicosecond time scale, while the main annihilation component for the J-aggregate is 5 ps. The S(1) lifetimes of aggregates are longer than in solution, yielding 20 and 30 ps for H- and J-zeaxanthin, respectively. In addition, H-type aggregation promotes a new relaxation channel that forms the zeaxanthin triplet state.     

HPTLC-Bestimmung von Paracetamol im Serum

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Determination of paracetamol in serum by HPTLC

     

Magnetic behavior of the oxide spinels: Li0.5Fe2.5−2x Al x Cr x O4

In order to study the effect of substitution of Fe³⁺ by Al³⁺ and Cr³⁺ in Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄ on its structural and magnetic properties, the spinel system Li_0.5Al _x Cr _x Fe_2.5?2x O₄ (x=0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 and 0.8) has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, high field magnetization, low field ac susceptibility and ⁵⁷Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. Contrary to the earlier reports, about 50% of Al³⁺ is found to occupy the tetrahedral sites. The system exhibits canted spin structure and a central paramagnetic doublet was found superimposed on magnetic sextet in the Mössbauer spectra (x>0.5).     

Excited-state processes in the carotenoid zeaxanthin after excess energy excitation

Aiming for better understanding of the large complexity of excited-state processes in carotenoids, we have studied the excitation wavelength dependence of the relaxation dynamics in the carotenoid zeaxanthin. Excitation into the lowest vibrational band of the S2 state at 485 nm, into the 0-3 vibrational band of the S2 state at 400 nm, and into the 2B(u)+ state at 266 nm resulted in different relaxation patterns. While excitation at 485 nm produces the known four-state scheme (S2 --> hot S1 --> S1 --> S0), excess energy excitation led to additional dynamics occurring with a time constant of 2.8 ps (400 nm excitation) and 4.9 ps (266 nm excitation), respectively. This process is ascribed to a conformational relaxation of conformers generated by the excess energy excitation. The zeaxanthin S state was observed regardless of the excitation wavelength, but its population increased after 400 and 266 nm excitation, suggesting that conformers generated by the excess energy excitation are important for directing the population toward the S state. The S2-S1 internal conversion time was shortened from 135 to 70 fs when going from 485 to 400 nm excitation, as a result of competition between the S2-S1 internal conversion from the vibrationally hot S2 state and S2 vibrational relaxation. The S1 lifetime of zeaxanthin was within experimental error the same for all excitation wavelengths, yielding approximately 9 ps. No long-lived species have been observed after excitation by femtosecond pulses regardless of the excitation wavelength, but excitation by nanosecond pulses at 266 nm generated both zeaxanthin triplet state and cation radical.     

联苯胺分光光度法测定食盐中碘含量

基于在盐酸介质中,碘酸钾氧化联苯胺使其显色,提出了光度法测定食盐中微量碘的方法。在40℃的水浴中,当2 mol.L-1盐酸溶液用量为1.00 mL0、.42 g.L-1联苯胺溶液用量为0.80 mL时,方法的线性范围为100~1 400μg.L-1,最大吸收波长在425 nm处,表观摩尔吸光率为1.4×105L.mol-1.cm-1。用于测定加碘食盐中碘含量的测定,回收率在97.5%~101.2%之间,相对标准偏差(n=7)在0.9%~1.9%之间。