Two-Color Two-Photon Excitation of Fluorescence

Abstract— We report the observation of two-photon excitation of an organic fluorophore with two different wavelengths, a phenomenon we refer to as two-color two-photon (2C2P) excitation. Ultraviolet emission of p -Merphenyl at 340 nm was observed when the sample was illuminated with both 375 and 750 nm pulses from a picosecond dye laser. The emission of p -terphenyl was about 100-fold and more than 1000-fold less for illumination at only 375 or 750 nm, respectively. Observation of the 2C2P signal required temporal and spatial overlap of the 375 and 750 nm pulses. The amplitude of the signal depended on the polarization of each beam. 2C2P excitation can have applications in fluorescence microscopy and elsewhere when spatially localized excitation is desirable.     

QUENCHING OF METHYLCYCLOHEXANE FLUORESCENCE BY METHANOL*

We measured the fluorescence emission spectrum and intensity decays of methylcyclohexane (MCH) when excited by simultaneous absorption of two photons at 298 nm. The steady-state intensities and lifetimes were both decreased by methanol, which was found to be an efficient quencher of MCH fluorescence. Methanol quenching of MCH is clearly dynamic, but the exact mechanism of quenching is unclear. Dynamic quenching of MCH was also observed by water and n-propanol. These results suggest that alkane fluorescence from biopolymers, if observable, will only occur from regions of the macromolecules that are not exposed to water.     

NMR investigation of the solubility of some lubricants in rigid and in impact modified PVC

The solubility behaviour of two paraffin-waxes and two monoglyceride-esters normally used as lubricants in PVC-formulations have been studied with wide-line NMR for rigid and for impact modified PVC. It has been shown that the investigated lubricants have limited solubility in PVC. In the impact modified product, the monoglyceride-esters are partly dissolved in the elastomer phase and partly in the PVC-phase. The paraffin-waxes have limited solubility in the elastomer and in the PVC-phases, and a considerable amount forms a separate phase.     

RAPID COMMUNICATION

Abstract— We show that the calcium fiuorophore Indo-1 can be excited by simultaneous absorption of three-photons at 885 nra, a wavelength readily available from Ti:sapphire lasers. Three-photon excitation was demonstrated by the emission intensity of Indo-1 which depended on the cube of the laser power, and by a higher anisotropy than was observed for two-photon excitation. Excitation of Indo-1 becomes a two-photon process when the wavelength is decreased to 820 nm. Three-photon excitation was accomplished at a low 17μ concentration of Indo-1. Examination of the spatial profile of the excited Indo-1 showed a smaller volume for three- versus two-photon excitation. These results suggest that three-photon excitation may be useful in fluorescence microscopy using the long wavelength output of Tksapphire lasers, and may provide higher spatial resolution than available using two-photon excitation.     

Distance-dependent fluorescence quenching ofN-acetyl-l-tryptophanamide by acrylamide

We examined the time-dependent intensity decays ofN-acetyl-l-tryptophanamide (NATA) when collisionally quenched by acrylamide in propylene glycol over a range of temperatures. The intensity decays of NATA became increasingly heterogeneous in the presence of acrylamide. The NATA intensity decays were not consistent with the Collins-Kimball radiation boundary condition (RBC) model for quenching. The steady-state Stern-Volmer plots show significant upward curvature, and quenching of NATA by acrylamide was observed even in vitrified propylene glycol, where translational diffusion cannot occur during the lifetime of the excited state. These frequencydomain and steady-state data indicate a through-space quenching interaction between NATA and acrylamide, and the results are consistent with a rate constant for quenching that depends exponentially on the fluorophore-quencher separation distance. The exponential distance-dependent rate of quenching also explains the upward curvature of the Stern-Volmer plot, and the steady-state data aid in determining the interaction distance between NATA and acrylamide. These results suggest that the distance-dependent quenching rates need to be considered in the interpretation of acrylamide quenching of proteins.     

New polycyclic diamine scaffolds from dimerization of 3-alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines in acidic medium

[reaction: see text] 3-Alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines dimerize in acidic medium, at low temperature, to give polycyclic imminium salts derivatives that were reduced to afford new polycyclic diamine scaffolds. The reaction can be extended to enantiopure series starting from R-(+)- or S-(-)-1-phenylethylamine. Long exposure of the polycyclic imminium salt intermediates to air moisture at 20 degrees C resulted in formation of new amide derivatives. This is probably due to the addition of water followed by an intramolecular oxido-reduction process.     

Frequency-domain fluorescence spectroscopy, a new method for the resolution of complex fluorescence emission

The fluorescence emission from complex chemical and biological samples can be resolved by measuring the frequency-response of the emission, which is now possible from 1 to 2000 MHz. The frequency-response allows determination of the components in a mixture, construction of time-resolved emission spectra, and measurement of the dynamic and hydrodynamic properties of biological macromolecules. The instrumentation is relatively simple, and data acquisition times can be short. At present, this method may be superior to direct measurements of time-resolved fluorescence emission.     

Interactive Multiple Criteria Decision Making based on preference driven Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization with controllable accuracy

We present an approach to interactive Multiple Criteria Decision Making based on preference driven Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization with controllable accuracy.The approach relies on formulae for lower and upper bounds on coordinates of the outcome of an arbitrary efficient variant corresponding to preference information expressed by the Decision Maker. In contrast to earlier works on that subject, here lower and upper bounds can be calculated and their accuracy controlled entirely within evolutionary computation framework. This is made possible by exploration of not only the region of feasible variants - a standard within evolutionary optimization, but also the region of infeasible variants, the latter to our best knowledge being a novel approach within Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization.To illustrate how this concept can be applied to interactive Multiple Criteria Decision Making, two algorithms employing evolutionary computations are proposed and their usefulness demonstrated by a numerical example.