Electro-optical properties of nucleic acids and nucleoproteins. 3. Kramers-Kronig relationships in linear birefringence and dichroism. Application to a DNA-proflavine complex.

Abstract

AbstractThe relation between the birefringence dispersion curve in a dichroic absorption band and the corresponding dichroism spectrum is given, using the Cauchy's theorem. The theory was checked on a DNA–proflavine complex with the aid of electro‐optical measurements. An excellent agreement between the experimental results and the theoretical calculations was found. The birefringence and dichroism of the complex appear to be determined by the orientation of the macromolecule while no evidence for a contribution of the hyperpolarizabilities to the electro‐optical effect is found.The importance of the dichroism correction in the calculation of the birefringence dispersion curve is emphasized.