Photochemistry of the model phototropic system involving flavins and indoles. I. Fluorescence polarization and MO calculations of the direction of the electronic transition moments in flavins

Abstract— The fluorescence polarization spectra of riboflavin, lumiflavin, and alloxazine under different conditions have been obtained. It has been shown that the polarization spectrum of riboflavin is not affected significantly by media such as D₂O-glycerol (50: 50) and castor oil. Our data do not indicate the anomalous spectral shift of riboflavin in castor oil, in contrast to the previous finding described by Thomas. The electronic structures of lumiflavin and alloxazine are similar to that of riboflavin, as revealed by the fluorescence polarization measurements and the molecular orbital calculations. The Pariser-Parr-Pople semiempirical SCF ASMO CI computations have been performed to compare the calculated transition moments with the polarization data. The theory predicts an angle of 42° between the 450 and 365 nm transition oscillators, in reasonable agreement with the experimental angle of about 49°. It has been shown, from the comparison of the calculated and observed spectral quantities, that the pseudo-heteroatom model for treating methyl groups in the flavin molecule is not adequate. The group orbital and inductive approximations appear to be satisfactory. Finally, the implication of the present findings has been briefly discussed in connection with phototropism.