Linear Dichroism Spectroscopy of Retinal with Picosecond Time Resolution

Abstract

For the first time linear dichroism spectroscopy has been extended to the picosecond time regime. 11 -cis retinal, all-trans retinal and l,8-diphenyl-l,3,5,7-octatetraene (DPOT) are incorporated into polyethylene films and oriented by stretching the films. By measuring picosecond transient absorption spectra polarized parallel and perpendicular to the stretching direction an calculating the dichroic ratio we get informations about the molecular geometry in excited singlet and triplet states. The results may have relevance to vision. For the first time linear dichroism spectroscopy has been extended to the picosecond time regime. 11 -cis retinal, all-trans retinal and l,8-diphenyl-l,3,5,7-octatetraene (DPOT) are incorporated into polyethylene films and oriented by stretching the films. By measuring picosecond transient absorption spectra polarized parallel and perpendicular to the stretching direction and calculating the dichroic ratio we get informations about the molecular geometry in excited singlet and triplet states. The results may have relevance to vision vision. © 1985, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.