Examination of the Photophysical Processes of Chlorophyll d Leading to a Clarification of Proposed Uphill Energy Transfer Processes in Cells of Acaryochloris marina

Abstract

A comprehensive study of the photophysical properties of chlorophyll (Chl) d in 1:40 acetonitrile-methanol solution is performed over the temperature range 170-295 K. From comparison of absorption and emission spectra, time-dependent density-functional calculations and homologies with those of Chl a, we assign the key features of the absorption and fluorescence spectra. Possible photophysical energy relaxation mechanisms are summarized, and thermal equilibration processes are studied in detail by monitoring the observed emission profiles and quantum yields as a function of excitation energy. In particular, we concentrate on emission subsequent to excitation in the extreme far-red tail of the..