Intensity ratio, fluorescence modulation measurement

The fluidity in the neighborhood of probe molecules can be tested by use of probes capable of intramolecular excimer formation. The probe molecules contain the two excimer-forming moieties linked by an alkyl chain. The extent of excimer formation depends on the viscosity of the environment and can be monitored by measuring the excimer/monomer fluorescence intensity ratio. The dependence of this ratio on reciprocal viscosity for the probe molecule dipyrenylpropane is shown in Fig. 18, in which the obtained microfluidities for surfactant systems are indicated. The fluidities decrease in the order SHS microemulsion, SDS, CTAC, Triton X-100 cf. Ref. 167 (for abbreviations see Tables 6 and 7). The same sequence order was found by Kano et al. (68). In systems containing heavy counterions the method leads to data that must be evaluated carefully, since heavy atom interactions may be different with excited monomers and excimers. The intramolecular excimer technique is also useful in biological studies. For instance, Almeida et al. investigated the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane in which the activity of the Ca -pumping enzyme is modulated by the membrane fluidity (197). 

Chemical Mechanisms for Fluorescence Modulation. While UV/visible signalling almost always results from the ionization of a conjugated substituent, there exists a plethora of mechanisms by which fluorescence signal transduction may be engendered. It is useful to categorize the mechanisms for fluorescence modulation described to date via the type of measurement that is made. These are intensity, intensity-ratio, and lifetime. A pictoral summary of each is found in Figure 1 of the chapter by Szmacinski and Lakowicz. 

Figure 1. Schemes for fluorescence sensing. A - single excitation or emission wavelength intensity, B - dual excitation or emission wavelengths intensity ratio C - measurement of intensity decay D -measurement of fluorescence phase angle and/or modulation.

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