A near-infrared transient absorption study of the excited-state dynamics of the carotenoid spirilloxanthin in solution and in the LH1 complex of Rhodospirillum rubrum

Emmanouil Papagiannakis, Ivo H.M. Van Stokkum, Rienk Van Grondelle, Robert A. Niederman, Donatas Zigmantas, Villy Sundström, Tomáš Polívka

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43 Scopus citations

Abstract

The spectroscopic properties of spirilloxanthin in an n-hexane solution and bound to the core light-harvesting (LH1) complex of Rhodospirillum rubrum were studied by near-infrared ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. Global analysis of the kinetic traces measured after excitation of spirilloxanthin to the S2 (1Bu+) state enabled us to estimate the species-associated difference spectra that correspond to the excited-state absorption signals originating from the S1 (2Ag-) and S2 states. Analysis of the absorption originating from the S2 state has provided further insight into the characterization of the spirilloxanthin excited states, while by analyzing the profile of the S1-S2 transition, we place the energy of the S1 state of all-trans-spirilloxanthin at 11 500 cm-1, both in solution and in the LH1 complex. This low value excludes excitation energy transfer from the S1 state of spirilloxanthin to bacteriochlorophyll in the LH1 complex of Rs. rubrum and explains the observed low energy transfer efficiency from spirilloxanthin to bacteriochlorophyll in that complex. Our results indicate that the S* state of spirilloxanthin, which was recently found both in solution and in the LH1 complex (Grandinaru, C. C., et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2001, 98, 2364), does not exhibit detectable spectral features in the near-infrared region.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)11216-11223
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume107
Issue number40
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 9 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Materials Chemistry

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