Phosphorescence temperature sensitivity

Phosphorescence is readily detectable from most types of proteins at room temperature. Tryptophan phosphorescence lifetimes and yields are very sensitive to environment, and therefore phosphorescence is sensitive to conformational changes in proteins. Fundamental questions concerning exactly what parameters affect lifetime and spectra of tryptophan in proteins remain still to be answered. 

The temperature sensitivity of phosphorescence mainly arises from fast impurity quenching processes. At low temperatures and rigid glassy medium, emission is a rule rather than exception. 

Figure 14. Absorption spectrum (top) and fluorescence excitation spectrum (middle) of isoquinoline vapor at room temperature, and the excitation spectrum of biacetyl phosphorescence (bottom), sensitized by energy transfer from the triplet isoquinoline. The band positions (in cmT1) are relative to the starred 0+ band at 31,925cm-1. (From ref. [45] with permission.)...

Temperature Dependence. At room temperature the exponential phosphorescence decay is absent, presumably because of the removal of triplet states by the temperature sensitive quenching process found at low temperatures. The decay from 5 /xsec. to 5 msec, did not fit any simple decay scheme although the mean slope of the decay on a log-log plot was —1. In the first 200 psec. after irradiation the room temperature emission is more intense than at 93 °K. A similar temperature dependence of the luminescence of anthracene crystals has been observed following ultraviolet excitation (1, 23). This behavior was interpreted as being caused by the enhanced intersystem crossing to the triplet states at the higher temperatures. This model, however, would not explain why the luminescence intensity of hot adenine powder in Figure 7 was lower than... 

Another application of particular note involving SS-RTP is the technology named phosphorescence barometry, which provides an inexpensive method for continuous pressure mapping of aerodynamic and automotive surfaces. The technology makes use of a luminescent paint (pressure-sensitive paint) that consists of an oxygen permeable polymer (e.g., silicone resins) in which a phosphorescent compound, a platinum porphyrin derivative, is dispersed. A temperature-sensitive paint would be similar except that an oxygen impermeable support should be used (e.g., an epoxy resin). 

Figure 2.14 Spectral characteristics of luminescence observed for Nonox Cl. (1) Excitation and emission spectra at room temperature, sensitivity scale 0.01, (2) excitation and emission spectra at -196 °C for total luminescence, sensitivity scale 0.01, (3) excitation and emission spectra at -196 °C for phosphorescence, sensitivity scale 0.01 Reproduced from Kirkbright and co-workers, Elsevier [86]...

Standardizing the Method Equations 10.32 and 10.33 show that the intensity of fluorescent or phosphorescent emission is proportional to the concentration of the photoluminescent species, provided that the absorbance of radiation from the excitation source (A = ebC) is less than approximately 0.01. Quantitative methods are usually standardized using a set of external standards. Calibration curves are linear over as much as four to six orders of magnitude for fluorescence and two to four orders of magnitude for phosphorescence. Calibration curves become nonlinear for high concentrations of the photoluminescent species at which the intensity of emission is given by equation 10.31. Nonlinearity also may be observed at low concentrations due to the presence of fluorescent or phosphorescent contaminants. As discussed earlier, the quantum efficiency for emission is sensitive to temperature and sample matrix, both of which must be controlled if external standards are to be used. In addition, emission intensity depends on the molar absorptivity of the photoluminescent species, which is sensitive to the sample matrix. 

Sensitivity From equations 10.32 and 10.33 we can see that the sensitivity of a fluorescent or phosphorescent method is influenced by a number of parameters. The importance of quantum yield and the effect of temperature and solution composition on f and p already have been considered. Besides quantum yield, the sensitivity of an analysis can be improved by using an excitation source that has a greater... 

Both types of processes, 7r -assisted y, -bond cleavage and P -bonding, have been invoked to operate in the phototransformations of the aldehyde-ketone (153) to products (155), (156) and (158). The conversions have been observed at room temperature in dioxane, t-butanol, ethanol and benzene using light of wavelengths 2537 A or above 3100 A or sensitization by acetophenone. The phosphorescing excited triple state of (153) is very similar to that of testosterone acetate (114), but its reactions are too rapid... 

Solid-surface room-temperature phosphorescence (RTF) is a relatively new technique which has been used for organic trace analysis in several fields. However, the fundamental interactions needed for RTF are only partly understood. To clarify some of the interactions required for strong RTF, organic compounds adsorbed on several surfaces are being studied. Fluorescence quantum yield values, phosphorescence quantum yield values, and phosphorescence lifetime values were obtained for model compounds adsorbed on sodiiun acetate-sodium chloride mixtures and on a-cyclodextrin-sodium chloride mixtures. With the data obtained, the triplet formation efficiency and some of the rate constants related to the luminescence processes were calculated. This information clarified several of the interactions responsible for RTF from organic compounds adsorbed on sodium acetate-sodium chloride and a-cyclodextrin-sodium chloride mixtures. Work with silica gel chromatoplates has involved studying the effects of moisture, gases, and various solvents on the fluorescence and phosphorescence intensities. The net result of the study has been to improve the experimental conditions for enhanced sensitivity and selectivity in solid-surface luminescence analysis. 

Interactions in Solid-Surface Luminescence Temperature Variation. Solid-surface luminescence analysis, especially solid-surface RTF, is being used more extensively in organic trace analysis than in the past because of its simplicity, selectivity, and sensitivity (,1,2). However, the interactions needed for strong luminescence signals are not well understood. In order to understand some of the interactions in solid-surface luminescence we recently developed a method for the determination of room-temperature fluorescence and phosphorescence quantum yields for compounds adsorbed on solid surfaces (27). In addition, we have been investigating the RTF and RTF properties of the anion of p-aminobenzoic acid adsorbed on sodium acetate as a model system. Sodium acetate and the anion of p-aminobenzoic acid have essentially no luminescence impurities. Also, the overall system is somewhat easier to study than compounds adsorbed on other surfaces, such as filter paper, because sodium acetate is more simple chemically. 

The third process sensitive to heavy-atom perturbation is the radiative decay from the triplet to the ground state (phosphorescence). Since phosphorescence is commonly not observed in fluid solution at room temperature, the rate of phosphorescence in the presence of heavy-atom perturbation relative to the rate of intersystem crossing and nonradiative decay need not be considered. At low temperatures in a rigid glass, however, phosphorescence... 

The uses of micelles in chemical analysis are rapidly increasing (Hinze, 1979). Analytical reactions are carried out typically on a small scale and are based on spectrophotometry. At the same time, undesired side reactions can cause major problems, especially when the analytical procedure depends on reactions which are relatively slow and require high temperatures, exotic solvents or high reagent concentrations for completion. Micelles can suppress undesired reactions as well as speed desired ones and they also solubilize reagents which are sparingly soluble in water. In addition it is often possible to make phosphorescence measurements at room temperature in the presence of surfactants which enormously increases the utility of this very sensitive method of detection. 

Fluorescence spectroscopy forms the majority of luminescence analyses. However, the recent developments in instrumentation and room-temperature phosphorescence techniques have given rise to practical and fundamental advances which should increase the use of phosphorescence spectroscopy. The sensitivity of phosphorescence is comparable to that of fluorescence and complements the latter by offering a wider range of molecules for study. 

The behavior of practically all luminescent materials is sensitive to various parameters of physical and chemical origin. The excited state lifetimes and average intensities of the fluorescence and/or phosphorescence of these materials are modulated, for example, by temperature, oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, voltage, pressure, and ionic strength. Consequently, the luminescence of various materials could be used, in principle, to monitor parameters of interest in medicine, industry, research, and the environment. 

The phosphorescence of a 5 X lO" M solution of biacetyl in de-aerated 2-propanol at room temperature could be quenched completely by 1 a,d,e (10 8 M) 84). In all three cases, the corresponding photoreduction products 2a,d,e emerge from analogous preparative scale biacetyl sensitized runs. Since 2e is also formed, steric hindrance to hydrogen abstraction from solvent cannot be too effective when a (probably longer-lived) triplet is populated, whereas it might be effective in the direct photolysis ot 1 e 88) where isomerisation competes with reduction probably in the (short-lived) singlet state. 

Photoinduced electron transfer from eosin and ethyl eosin to Fe(CN)g in AOT/heptane-RMs was studied and the Hfe time of the redox products in reverse micellar system was found to increase by about 300-fold compared to conventional photosystem [335]. The authors have presented a kinetic model for overall photochemical process. Kang et al. [336] reported photoinduced electron transfer from (alkoxyphenyl) triphenylporphyrines to water pool in RMs. Sarkar et al. [337] demonstrated the intramolecular excited state proton transfer and dual luminescence behavior of 3-hydroxyflavone in RMs. In combination with chemiluminescence, RMs were employed to determine gold in aqueous solutions of industrial samples containing silver alloy [338, 339]. Xie et al. [340] studied the a-naphthyl acetic acid sensitized room temperature phosphorescence of biacetyl in AOT-RMs. The intensity of phosphorescence was observed to be about 13 times higher than that seen in aqueous SDS micelles. 

Photon counting detection reaches the ultimate limits of sensitivity in light detection at the present time. It is useful for the detection of very weak luminescence of quantum yields below 10-4 some phosphorescence emissions in liquids at ordinary temperatures can be measured in this way (Figure 7.28). 

Luminescence spectrophotometry consists of fluorescence, phosphorescence and low-temperature total luminescence. Fluorescence is generally measured at room temperature. Phosphorescence is generally observed at liquid nitrogen temperature (77K) with the aid of a chopper to interrupt the exciting radiation. Total luminescence is the combined fluorescence and phosphorescence obtained at low temperature (77K). Luminescence spectrophotometry is generally much more sensitive and specific than absorption spectrophotometry. 

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