CHLOROPHYLL-PHOTOSENSITIZED OXIDATION OF HYDROQUINONE AND p-PHENYLENEDIAMINE DERIVATIVES |
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Authors: | Eiji Fujimori Maria Tavla |
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Institution: | Photochemistry Section, Energetics Branch, Space Physics Laboratory, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories Bedford, Mass. 01730, USA. |
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Abstract: | Abstract— ESR and photovoltaic studies on light-induced one-electron transfer between chlorophyll a and electron donors in the absence of oxygen show (1) the possible conversion of photo-reduced chlorophyll a and p-benzosemiquinone ion radicals to their non-ionic radicals in methanol solutions of low pH, (2) the production of ESR absorption of tetrachloro-p-benzosemi-quinone even in benzene, enhanced by the addition of triethylamine or methanol, and (3) the transfer of one electron from tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine to either excited chlorophyll a or pheophytin a in methanol at pH above 3.6 but not to pheophytin a at pH below 1 0 where its radical cation appears to accept an electron from excited pheophytin a . Bacteteriochloro-phyll is also shown to be capable of photooxidizing hydroquinones and tetramethyl-p-phenyl-enediamine. The presence of oxygen enhances chlorophyll a -photosensitized oxidation of hydroquinone and tetrachloro-hydroquinone by one-electron transfer to oxygen and of trimethylhydro-quinone probably by two-electron trnasfer to oxygen. A free radical from excited chlorophyll a-oxygen interaction is formed in these reactions, but rapidly quenched in the case of trimethyl-hydroquinone. This, kind of free radical is not formed in pheophytin a . Tetramethyl- p -phenyl-enediamine readily undergoes chlorophyll a-photosensitized oxidation by oxygen in any pH region. |
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