Photophysical and Photochemical Behavior of 11-cis-Retinal and Its Schiff Base in a Micelle

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100409a022

The photophysical and photochemical behaviors of 11-cis-retinal and its Schiff base have been studied in a micelle made from Triton X-100.Both microsecond laser flash and steady-state techniques were employed.The photoisomerization yield (ca. 0.19) and the triplet quantum yield (ca. 0.13) were determined in the case of 11-cis-retinal.In the case of the 11-cis Schiff base, a long-lived (240 s) non-excited-state transient was seen and very little isomerization appears to have occured.The relative location of the 11-cis-retinal and its Schiff base in the micelle could be determined.The retinal was found to be in a polar region, Stern layer, of the micelle while the 11-cis Schiff base was found to be located in a dry, hydrocarbon-core region of the micelle.The nonionic micellar environment did not favor in any manner the photoisomerization of the 11-cis-retinal or the 11-cis Schiff base compared to any other solvents (polar or nonpolar).