Energy Transfer II. The Forster Mechanism

A schematic of the FSrster energy transfer mechanism. The colored arrows are meant to represent the coupled transitions that iKcur simultaneously. 

Schematic of the FRET process, an example of FOrster energy transfer. A. In one application a large biomolecule is represented as a gray oval. Attached to it are the donor (D) and acceptor (A) chromophores. The goal is to measure the distance r. On the right the competing emission processes and the energy transfer are. shown. As described in the text, the relative intensities of emission at At and Ag can lead to a determination of r. B. The necessary relationship between the absorption /emission characteristics of the donor and those of the acceptor. The emission sjjectrum of the donor must overlap the absorption spectrum of the acceptor. 

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