Forster length

The validity of the Forster theory was tested and confirmed in a number of model studies with compounds that contained a donor and an acceptor separated by well-defined rigid spacers. This work has been reviewed 5] In a classical study, a naphthyl group (donor) was attached to the C-terminal and a dansyl group (acceptor) to the N-terminal of poly-L-proline oligomers (1-12 proline residues) 61 These proline oligomers assume a trans helical conformation in ethanol and thus represent spacers of well-defined length (12-46 A). A continuous decrease in the transfer efficiency from 100% at a donor-acceptor separation of... 

When charge-transfer bonds are obscured by those of the original donors and acceptors, one may find of value a difference method [1] (e.g., Forster s tandem method [70]). Four cuvets of equal path length are used, two containing the charge-transfer complex solutions in series in the indicator beam of a double-beam spectrophotometer, and two cuvets, one with the unreacted donor and the other with unreacted acceptor solution, also in series in the reference beam. A difference spectrum is thus obtained which, however, needs special care in its interpretation. 

P. Salamin, H. Bartels, P. Forster, A Wavelength and Optimal Path Length Selection Procedure for Spectroscopic Multicomponent Analysis, Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems, 11 (1991), 57-62. 

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