| Abstract: | The fluorescence quantum yields of tryptophan, 3-methylindole and 3-β-hydroxyethylindole were investigated as a function of temperature in a variety of polar and non polar solvents. Similar quantum yields and “activation energies” were found for the different systems. It was concluded that the same collisional solvent deactivation is responsible for the decrease in quantum yield with temperature irrespective of solvent system used. A notable exception is water where a different mechanism is indicated. The quenching of the indole chromophore fluorescence by a variety of specific agents both attached to the ring by an ethylene bridge and in homogeneous solution was also studied. It was found that potential proton donating groups were good quenching agents, the effect being much greater for groups carrying a positive charge. Polarization by a neighboring group also enhanced the quenching ability of any specific group. It was concluded that an excited state charge transfer complex is probably involved as a first step in the quenching process. |
