QUENCHING OF THE FLUORESCENCE OF 8-METHOXYPSORALEN BY PROTONS |
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| Authors: | Eva L Menger Himangshu R Bhattacharjee George S Hammond |
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| Institution: | Division of Natural Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz. CA 95064. U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | Abstract— The quenching of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) fluorescence by protons was observed to occur at the diffusion controlled rates in aqueous solutions at room temperature. Enhanced basicity of 8-MOP in the excited state compared to the ground state is expected on theoretical grounds. The fluorescence yield. which we determined as 6.3 × 10--4 at pH 1 is surprisingly low and indicative of extremely fast radiationless decay pathways. The fluorescence lifetime of 8-MOP in neutral aqueous solution is on the order of 1–2 ns. |
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