Quantitative Fluorescence Excitation Spectra for Synthetic Eumelanin

dc.creatorNighswander-Rempel, Stephen
dc.creatorRiesz, Jennifer
dc.creatorGilmore, Joel
dc.creatorBothma, Jacques
dc.creatorMeredith, Paul
dc.date2005-05-30
dc.date2005-07-07
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-25T15:51:57Z
dc.descriptionPreviously reported excitation spectra for eumelanin are sparse and inconsistent. Moreover, these studies have failed to account for probe beam attenuation and emission reabsorption within the samples, making them qualitative at best. We report for the first time quantitative excitation spectra for synthetic eumelanin, acquired for a range of solution concentrations and emission wavelengths. Our data indicate that probe beam attenuation and emission reabsorption significantly affect the spectra even in low-concentration eumelanin solutions and that previously published data do not reflect the true excitation profile. We apply a correction procedure (previously applied to emission spectra) to account for these effects. Application of this procedure reconstructs the expected relationship of signal intensity with concentration, and the normalised spectra show a similarity in form to the absorption profiles. These spectra reveal valuable information regarding the photophysics and photochemistry of eumelanin. Most notably, an excitation peak at 365 nm (3.40 eV), whose position is independent of emission wavelength, is possibly attributable to a DHICA component singly linked to a polymeric structure.
dc.description12 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. The experiment has been repeated using acid precipitation to eliminate contributions of small oligomers. The table has been added to the original version and the figures have all been revised. Also, a discussion of indolic monomers has been added to the Results and Discussion
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0505705
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0505705
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.dare.co.zw/handle/123456789/37632
dc.subjectSoft Condensed Matter
dc.titleQuantitative Fluorescence Excitation Spectra for Synthetic Eumelanin
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