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Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy

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240 DYNAMICS OF SOLVENT AND SPECTRAL RELAXATION<br />

Figure 7.6. Normalized time-resolved emission spectra for continuous<br />

relaxation (top) and for a two-state process (bottom).<br />

some at later times. The decay rate represents the ensemble<br />

average. The fluorophores that emit at earlier times tend to<br />

have shorter wavelength emission, and those that emit at<br />

later times have longer wavelength emission.<br />

Suppose that emission spectra could be recorded at any<br />

desired instant following the excitation pulse (Figure 7.6)<br />

and that the spectra are normalized. First consider a continuous<br />

relaxation process (top panel). If the emission spectrum<br />

was observed immediately after excitation (t = 1 ns),<br />

then a blue-shifted or unrelaxed emission will be observed.<br />

If the time <strong>of</strong> observation is later, then more <strong>of</strong> the molecules<br />

will have relaxed to longer wavelengths, resulting<br />

in emission spectra that are progressively shifts to longer<br />

wavelengths at longer times. For continuous spectral relaxation<br />

the shape <strong>of</strong> the emission spectra are expected<br />

to remain the same. Now consider the ESR model (Figure<br />

7.6, lower panel). At short times the blue-shifted emission<br />

would be observed. At long times the emission<br />

would be from the reacted fluorophore. At intermediate<br />

times emission from both species would be observed. Typically<br />

the emission spectrum would be wider at intermediate<br />

times due to emission from both forms <strong>of</strong> the fluorophore.<br />

These emission spectra, representing discrete<br />

times following excitation, are called the time-resolved<br />

emission spectra (TRES). It is technically challenging to<br />

determine the TRES, and the molecular interpretation can<br />

be equally difficult.<br />

7.2. MEASUREMENT OF TIME-RESOLVED<br />

EMISSION SPECTRA (TRES)<br />

7.2.1. Direct Recording <strong>of</strong> TRES<br />

The measurement <strong>of</strong> TRES is most easily understood using<br />

pulse sampling or time-gated detection (Chapter 4). In fact,<br />

the first reported TRES were obtained using this method, 4–6<br />

but this method is rarely used at the present time. The sample<br />

was 4-aminophthalimide (4-AP) in propanol at –70EC.<br />

At this temperature the rate <strong>of</strong> solvent relaxation is comparable<br />

to the decay time. The sample is excited with a brief<br />

pulse <strong>of</strong> light, and the detector was gated on for a brief period<br />

(typically

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