Forward Electron Transfer Rate Research Articles

Effect of cationic antiseptics on fluorescent characteristics and electron transfer in cyanobacterial photosystem I complexes.

In this study, the effects of cationic antiseptics such as chlorhexidine, picloxidine, miramistin, and octenidine at concentrations up to 150µM on fluorescence spectra and its lifetimes, as well as on light-induced electron transfer in protein-pigment complexes of photosystem I (PSI) isolated from cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 have been studied. In doing so, octenidine turned out to be the most "effective" in terms of its influence on the spectral and functional characteristics of PSI complexes. It has been shown that the rate of energy migration from short-wavelength forms of light-harvesting chlorophyll to long-wavelength ones slows down upon addition of octenidine to the PSI suspension. After photo-separation of charges between the primary electron donor P700 and the terminal iron-sulfur center(s) FA/FB, the rate of forward electron transfer from (FA/FB)- to the external medium slows down while the rate of charge recombination between reduced FA/FB- and photooxidized P700+ increases. The paper considers the possible causes of the observed action of the antiseptic.

InP quantum dots: Stoichiometry regulates carrier dynamics.

The optical properties of non-toxic indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs) are impinged by the existence of characteristic deep trap states. Several surface engineering strategies have been adopted to improve their optical quality, which has promoted the use of InP QDs for various technological applications. An antithetical approach involves the effective utilization of the deep trap states in InP QDs to modulate back electron transfer rates. Here, we explore the influence of the core-size of InP on their In-to-P stoichiometry and charge transfer dynamics when bound to an acceptor molecule, decyl viologen (DV2+). The mechanism of interaction of InP and DV2+ based on the quenching sphere model established the presence of (i) a 1:1 complex of DV2+ bound on InP and (ii) immobile quenchers in the quenching sphere, depending on the concentration of DV2+. While the forward electron transfer rates from photoexcited InP to bound DV2+ does not substantially vary with an increase in core size, the back electron transfer rates are found to be retarded. Findings from inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal that the In to P ratio is higher for QDs with larger core size, which further brings about increased carrier trapping and a decreased rate of charge recombination. Furthermore, long-lived charge-separated states in DV2+ bound to InP, extending to hundreds of milliseconds, are obtained by varying the number of DV2+ in the quenching sphere of the QDs.

Conserved residue PsaB-Trp673 is essential for high-efficiency electron transfer between the phylloquinones and the iron-sulfur clusters in Photosystem I.

Despite the high level of symmetry between the PsaA and PsaB polypeptides in Photosystem I, some amino acids pairs are strikingly different, such as PsaA-Gly693 and PsaB-Trp673, which are located near a cluster of 11 water molecules between the A1A and A1B quinones and the FX iron-sulfur cluster. In this work, we changed PsaB-Trp673 to PsaB-Phe673 in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The variant contains ~ 85% of wild-type (WT) levels of Photosystem I but is unable to grow photoautotrophically. Both time-resolved and steady-state optical measurements show that in the PsaB-W673F variant less than 50% of the electrons reach the terminal iron-sulfur clusters FA and FB; the majority of the electrons recombine from A1A- and A1B-. However, in those reaction centers which pass electrons forward the transfer is heterogeneous: a minor population shows electron transfer rates from A1A- and A1B- to FX slightly slower than that of the WT, whereas a major population shows forward electron transfer rates to FX slowed to the ~ 10 µs time range. Competition between relatively similar forward and backward rates of electron transfer from the quinones to the FX cluster account for the relatively low yield of long-lived charge separation in the PsaB-W673F variant. A higher water content and its increased mobility observed in MD simulations in the interquinone cavity of the PsaB-W673F variant shifts the pK of PsaB-Asp575 and allows its deprotonation in situ. The heterogeneity found may be rooted in protonation state of PsaB-Asp575, which controls whether electron transfer can proceed beyond the phylloquinone cofactors.

Perturbation of the primary acceptor chlorophyll site in the heliobacterial reaction center by coordinating amino acid substitution

All known Type I photochemical reaction center protein complexes contain a form of the pigment chlorophyll a in their primary electron acceptor site (termed ec3). In the reaction center from the primitive heliobacteria (HbRC), all of the pigment cofactors are bacteriochlorophyll g except in the ec3 sites, which contain 81-hydroxychlorophyll a. To explore the energetic flexibility of this site, we performed site-directed mutagenesis on two of the amino acids of the PshA core polypeptide responsible for coordinating the 81-hydroxychlorophyll a. These two amino acids are serine-545, which coordinates the central Mg(II) through an intermediary water molecule, and serine-553, which participates in a hydrogen bond with the 131-keto O atom. Mutagenesis of serine-545 to histidine (S545H) changes how the chlorophyll's central Mg(II) is coordinated, with the result of decreasing the chlorophyll's site energy. Mutagenesis of serine-545 to methionine (S545M), which was made to mimic the ec3 site of Photosystem I, abolishes chlorophyll binding and charge separation altogether. Mutagenesis of serine-553 to alanine (S553A) removes the aforementioned hydrogen bond, increasing the site energy of the chlorophyll. In the S545H and S553A mutants, the forward and reverse electron transfer rates from ec3 are both faster. This coincides with a decrease in both the quantum yield of initial charge separation and the overall photochemical quantum yield. Taken together, these data indicate that wild-type HbRC is optimized for overall photochemical efficiency, rather than just for maximizing the forward electron transfer rate. The necessity for a chlorophyll a derivative at the ec3 site is also discussed.

Electron transfer from photoexcited naphthalene-1,4:5,8-bis(dicarboximide) radical anion to Mn(bpy)(CO)3X and Re(bpy)(CO)3X CO2 reduction catalysts linked via a saturated methylene bridge

Supramolecular systems that connect a naphthalene-1,4:5,8-bis(dicarboximide) (NDI) radical anion donor to Mn(bpy)(CO)3Br or Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl CO2 reduction catalysts via a methylene bridge have been synthesized and studied by femtosecond transient visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy. The use of the methylene bridge to link NDI to the complexes does not affect the reduction potentials of the metal complexes. Selective photoexcitation of NDI•− to 2*NDI•− results in ultrafast reduction of the bipyridine (bpy) ligands on both the Mn and Re complexes to form Mn(I)(bpy•−)(CO)3X and Re(I)(bpy•−)(CO)3X in near unity quantum yield, respectively. The initial formation of Mn(I)(bpy•−)(CO)3X is unexpected based on previous electrochemical data that indicates the Mn(I) center is reduced at a more positive potential than the bpy ligand. Moreover, the rate of forward electron transfer in the Mn complex was found to be faster than in the Re complex, while the rate of the back electron transfer in the Re complex was faster than in the Mn complex.

Electron transfer from the A1A and A1B sites to a tethered Pt nanoparticle requires the FeS clusters for suppression of the recombination channel

In this work, a previously described model of electron withdrawal from the A1A/A1B sites of Photosystem I (PS I) was tested using a dihydrogen-producing PS I–NQ(CH2)15S–Pt nanoconstruct. According to this model, the rate of electron transfer from A1A/A1B to a tethered Pt nanoparticle is kinetically unfavorable relative to the rate of forward electron transfer to the FeS clusters. Dihydrogen is produced only when an external donor rapidly reduces P700+, thereby suppressing the recombination channel and allowing the electron in the FeS clusters to proceed via uphill electron transfer through the A1A/A1B quinones to the Pt nanoparticle. We tested this model by sequentially removing the FeS clusters, FB, FA, and FX, and determining the concentration of cytochrome c6 (Cyt c6) at which the backreaction was outcompeted and dihydrogen production was observed. P700-FA cores were generated in a menB insertionally inactivated strain by removing FB with HgCl2; P700-FX cores were generated in a menB psaC insertionally inactivated strain that lacks FA and FB, and P700-A1 cores were generated in a menB rubA insertionally inactivated strain that lacks FX, FA and FB. Quinone incorporation was measured using transient electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and time resolved optical spectroscopy. Cyt c6 was titrated into each of these PS I preparations and the kinetics of P700+ reduction were measured. A similar experiment was carried out on PS I–NQ(CH2)15S–Pt nanoconstructs assembled from these PS I preparations. This study showed that the concentration of Cyt c6 needed to produce dihydrogen was comparable to that needed to suppress the backreaction. We conclude that the FeS clusters serve to ‘park’ the electron and thereby extend the duration of the charge-separated state; however, in doing so, the redox advantage of removing the electron at A1A/A1B is lost.

One at a Time: Intramolecular Electron-Transfer Kinetics in Small Laccase Observed during Turnover

Single-molecule enzymology provides an unprecedented level of detail about aspects of enzyme mechanisms which have been very difficult to probe in bulk. One such aspect is intramolecular electron transfer (ET), which is a recurring theme in the research on oxidoreductases containing multiple redox-active sites. We measure the intramolecular ET rates between the copper centers of the small laccase from Streptomyces coelicolor at room temperature and pH 7.4, one molecule at a time, during turnover. The forward and backward rates across many molecules follow a log-normal distribution with means of 460 and 85 s(-1), respectively, corresponding to activation energies of 347 and 390 meV for the forward and backward rates. The driving force and the reorganization energy amount to 0.043 and 1.5 eV, respectively. The spread in rates corresponds to a spread of ∼30 meV in the activation energy. The second-order rate constant for reduction of the T1 site amounts to 2.9 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1). The mean of the distribution of forward ET rates is higher than the turnover rate from ensemble steady-state measurements and, thus, is not rate limiting.

Dipole-Assisted Charge Separation in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Photovoltaic Heterojunctions: Insight from First-Principles Simulations

It has been observed that the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of a hybrid organic/inorganic (P3HT/ZnO) solar cell can be tripled by inserting a monolayer of fullerene (PCBA) at the donor (P3HT) and acceptor (ZnO) interface. First-principles simulations are performed to understand the origin of the increased EQE, offering a complementary perspective to the experiment. The interfacial atomic and electronic structure as well as energy alignment are examined for both the bare and PCBA-modified interface. The presence of PCBA induces an interfacial dipole and shifts up the lowest-unoccupied-molecular-orbital (LUMO) level of P3HT relative to the conduction band edge of ZnO. Interfacial electron dynamics including forward and backward charge transfer time scales are estimated. We find that the two interfaces have similar forward electron transfer rates but their transfer mechanisms differ. The PCBA-modified interface exhibits a weaker adiabatic but a stronger nonadiabatic charge transfer. In contrast, the charge recombination time scale of the modified interface is 20 times slower than that of the bare interface, thanks to reduced donor/acceptor wave function coupling as well as increased donor/acceptor energy offset. By slowing down the charge recombination, the PCBA-modified heterojunction offers the superior performance observed in the experiment.

Exploring the Electron Transfer Pathways in Photosystem I by High-Time-Resolution Electron Paramagnetic Resonance: Observation of the B-Side Radical Pair P700+A1B– in Whole Cells of the Deuterated Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at Cryogenic Temperatures

Crystallographic models of photosystem I (PS I) highlight a symmetrical arrangement of the electron transfer cofactors which are organized in two parallel branches (A, B) relative to a pseudo-C2 symmetry axis that is perpendicular to the membrane plane. Here, we explore the electron transfer pathways of PS I in whole cells of the deuterated green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using high-time-resolution electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) at cryogenic temperatures. Particular emphasis is given to quantum oscillations detectable in the tertiary radical pairs P700(+)A1A(-) and P700(+)A1B(-) of the electron transfer chain. Results are presented first for the deuterated site-directed mutant PsaA-M684H in which electron transfer beyond the primary electron acceptor A0A on the PsaA branch of electron transfer is impaired. Analysis of the quantum oscillations, observed in a two-dimensional Q-band (34 GHz) EPR experiment, provides the geometry of the B-side radical pair. The orientation of the g tensor of P700(+) in an external reference system is adapted from a time-resolved multifrequency EPR study of deuterated and 15N-substituted cyanobacteria (Link, G.; Berthold, T.; Bechtold, M.; Weidner, J.-U.; Ohmes, E.; Tang, J.; Poluektov, O.; Utschig, L.; Schlesselman, S. L.; Thurnauer, M. C.; Kothe, G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 4211-4222). Thus, we obtain the three-dimensional structure of the B-side radical pair following photoexcitation of PS I in its native membrane. The new structure describes the position and orientation of the reduced B-side quinone A1B(-) on a nanosecond time scale after light-induced charge separation. Furthermore, we present results for deuterated wild-type cells of C. reinhardtii demonstrating that both radical pairs P700(+)A1A(-) and P700(+)A1B(-) participate in the electron transfer process according to a mole ratio of 0.71/0.29 in favor of P700(+)A1A(-). A detailed comparison reveals different orientations of A1A(-) and A1B(-) in their respective binding sites such that formation of a strong hydrogen bond from A1(-) to the protein backbone is possible only in the case of A1A(-). We suggest that this is relevant to the rates of forward electron transfer from A1A(-) or A1B(-) to the iron-sulfur center F(X), which differ by a factor of 10. Thus, the present study sheds new light on the orientation of the phylloquinone acceptors in their binding pockets in PS I and the effect this has on function.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer and Persistent Spectral Hole-Burning in Natural Emerald

Wavelength-selective excited-state lifetime measurements and absorption, luminescence, and hole-burning spectra of a natural African emerald crystal are reported. The (2)E excited-state lifetime displays an extreme wavelength dependence, varying from 190 to 37 μs within 1.8 nm of the R(1)-line. Overall, the excited state is strongly quenched, in comparison to laboratory-created emerald (τ=1.3 ms), with an average quenching rate of ∼6 × 10(3) s(-1) at 2.5 K. This quenching is attributed to photoinduced electron transfer caused by a relatively high concentration of Fe(2+) ions. The forward electron-transfer rate, k(f), from the nearest possible Fe(2+) sites at around 5 Å is estimated to be ∼20 × 10(3) s(-1) at 2.5 K. The photoreductive quenching of the excited Cr(3+) ions by Fe(2+) is followed by rapid electron back-transfer in the ground state upon deactivation. The exchange interaction based quenching can be modeled by assuming a random quencher distribution within the possible Fe(2+) sites with the forward electron-transfer rate, k(f), given as a function of acceptor-donor separation R by exp[(R(f)-R)/a(f)]; R(f) and a(f) values of 13.5 and 2.7 Å are obtained at 2.5 K. The electron transfer/back-transfer reorganizes the local crystal lattice, occasionally leading to a minor variation of the short-range structure around the Cr(3+) ions. This provides a mechanism for spectral hole-burning for which a moderately high quantum efficiency of about ∼0.005% is observed. Spectral holes are subject to spontaneous hole-filling and spectral diffusion, and both effects can be quantified within the standard two-level systems for non-photochemical hole-burning. Importantly, the absorbance increases on both sides of broad spectral holes, and isosbestic points are observed, in accord with the expected distribution of the "photoproduct" in a non-photochemical hole-burning process.

Theory of reversible electron transfer reactions in a condensed phase

We have derived an exact analytical expression for the average forward rate of a reversible electron transfer reaction, modeled through a reaction coordinate undergoing diffusive motion in arbitrary potential wells of the reactant and the product in presence of a localized sink of arbitrary location and strength. The dynamics of diffusive motion is described by employing two coupled generalized diffusion reaction (Smoluchowski) equations with coordinate dependent diffusivity and delta sink. The average forward electron transfer rate constant obtained here for the system, with equilibrium or nonequilibrium distributions as initial condition, is determined by the forward and backward rate constants calculated based on the transition state theory and the weighted average rate for the well dynamics. We also discuss various limiting cases for the rate of electron transfer reactions corresponding to the different experimental situations. As an illustrative example, we have considered back electron transfer (ET) reaction and shown that the present theory can explain the non-Marcus free energy gap dependence of the rate of ET reactions. More importantly, the approach presented here can easily be extended to systems describing the dynamics of diffusive motion in coupled multipotential surfaces associated with electron transfer reactions.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer of Oxazine 1/TiO2 Nanoparticles at Single Molecule Level by Using Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Kinetics of photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from oxazine 1 dye to TiO(2) nanoparticles (NPs) surface is studied at a single molecule level by using confocal fluorescence microscopy. Upon irradiation with a pulsed laser at 630 nm, the fluorescence lifetimes sampled among 100 different dye molecules are determined to yield an average lifetime of 2.9 +/- 0.3 ns, which is close to the value of 3.0 +/- 0.6 ns measured on the bare coverslip. The lifetime proximity suggests that most interfacial electron transfer (IFET) processes for the current system are inefficient, probably caused by physisorption between dye and the TiO(2) film. However, there might exist some molecules which are quenched before fluorescing and fail to be detected. With the aid of autocorrelation analysis under a three-level energy system, the IFET kinetics of single dye molecules in the conduction band of TiO(2) NPs is evaluated to be (1.0 +/- 0.1) x 10(4) s(-1) averaged over 100 single molecules and the back ET rate constant is 4.7 +/- 0.9 s(-1). When a thicker TiO(2) film is substituted, the resultant kinetic data do not make a significant difference. The trend of IFET efficacy agrees with the method of fluorescence lifetime measurements. The obtained forward ET rate constants are about ten times smaller than the photovoltage response measured in an assembled dye-sensitized solar cell. The discrepancy is discussed. The inhomogeneous and fluctuation characters for the IFET process are attributed to microenvironment variation for each single molecule. The obtained ET rates are much slower than the fluorescence relaxation. Such a small ET quantum yield is yet feasibly detectable at a single molecule level.

Directional Electron Transfer in Chromophore-Labeled Quantum-Sized Au25 Clusters: Au25 as an Electron Donor

Novel Au25(C6S)17PyS clusters (pyrene-functionalized Au25 clusters) showing interesting electrochemical and optical properties are synthesized and characterized. Significant fluorescence quenching is observed for pyrene attached to Au25 clusters, suggesting strong excited-state interactions. Time-resolved fluorescence upconversion and transient absorption measurements are utilized to understand the excited-state dynamics and possible interfacial electron- and energy-transfer pathways. Electrochemical investigations suggest the possibility of electron transfer from Au25 clusters to the attached pyrene. Fluorescence upconversion measurements have shown faster luminescence decay for the case of pyrene attached to Au25 clusters pointing toward ultrafast photoinduced electron/energy-transfer pathways. Femtosecond transient absorption measurements have revealed the presence of the anion radical of pyrene in the excited-state absorption, suggesting the directional electron transfer from Au25 clusters to pyrene. The rate of forward electron transfer from the Au25 cluster to pyrene is ultrafast (∼580 fs), as observed with femtosecond fluorescence upconversion and transient absorption.

Photoinduced electron transfer in tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(ii)-viologen dyads with peptide backbones leading to long-lived charge separation and hydrogen evolution

Three 5,5'-disubstituted-2,2'-bipyridine ligands tethered to l-Asp-based peptide backbones having pendant viologen-modified branches, i.e., 5-ethoxycarbonyl-5'-(N-G(1)-carbamoyl)-2,2'-bipyridine ((4+)), 5,5'-bis(N-G(1)-carbamoyl)-2,2'-bipyridine ((8+)), and 5,5'-bis(N-G(2)-carbamoyl)-2,2'-bipyridine ((12+)), were prepared, where G(1) = Asp(NHG(3))-NHG(3), G(2) = Asp(NHG(3))-Asp(NHG(3))-NHG(3), and G(3) = -(CH(2))(2)-(+)NC(5)H(4)-C(5)H(4)N(+)-CH(3), i.e., 2-(1'-methyl-4,4'-bipyridinediium-1-yl)ethyl. These were reacted with cis-Ru(bpy)(2)Cl(2) to give three new dyads [Ru(bpy)(2)()](6+) ((6+)), [Ru(bpy)(2)()](10+) ((10+)), and [Ru(bpy)(2)()](14+) ((14+)), respectively, where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine. All these dyads undergo extremely efficient intramolecular quenching leading to the formation of charge separated (CS) states (Ru(III)-MV(+) ), and display a triple exponential decay due to the presence of three classes of conformers with each exhibiting the individual rate of electron transfer. The lifetimes (contributions) were determined as 12.5 ps (94.2%), 791 ps (4.5%), and 18.3 ns (1.2%) for , 82.2 ps (79.9%), 1.12 ns (12.4%), and 4.60 ns (7.7%) for , and 43.6 ps (71.6%), 593 ps (20.2%), and 3.75 ns (8.1%) for . The forward electron transfer rate constants (k(ET)) for the major components were calculated as k(ET) = 8.3 x 10(10) s(-1) for , k(ET) = 1.2 x 10(10) s(-1) for , and k(ET) = 2.3 x 10(10) s(-1) for . Further, the lifetimes and quantum yields of charge separated states were determined as tau(CS) = 16 +/- 3 ns and Phi(CS) = 0.81 for , tau(CS) = 20 +/- 3 ns and Phi(CS) = 0.92 for , and tau(CS) = 20 +/- 3 ns and Phi(CS) = 0.64 for . The backward electron transfer rate constants (k(BET)) were also determined as 6.3 x 10(7), 5.0 x 10(7), and 5.0 x 10(7) s(-1) for , , and , respectively. From the analysis of electrical conductivity, the major ion-pair adducts in aqueous media were characterized as (PF(6))(5+) (52%) for , (PF(6))(2)(8+) (29%) and (PF(6))(3)(7+) (32%) for , and (PF(6))(3)(11+) (27%) and (PF(6))(4)(10+) (29%) for , at a total complex concentration of 0.04 mM. The present family is found to be the first example of a Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)-MV(2+) system in which three orders of magnitude of difference is achieved between the forward and backward electron transfer rate constants. These dyads were finally combined with a Pt(ii)-based H(2)-evolving catalyst, i.e., cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(ii), to ascertain the applicability of the system towards the visible light-induced water splitting processes.

The Role of Adenine in Fast Excited-State Deactivation of FAD: a Femtosecond Mid-IR Transient Absorption Study

We present a study of excited-state dynamics of two flavin cofactors: flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin-mononucleotide (FMN). We used femtosecond mid-R transient absorption spectroscopy to study the effect of FAD conformation on its excited-state behavior. The conformation of FAD was modulated by changing the solvent polarity: in D(2)O, FAD is present predominantly in the "stacked" conformation, in which flavin and adenine moieties are in close proximity to each other, whereas the increased amount of DMSO led to an increased amount of the "open" conformer. FMN served as a model system which lacks adenine. We found that the "stacked" conformer undergoes an intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer from adenine to flavin with the forward electron transfer rate of k(f) = 1.9.10(11) s(-1) and the geminate recombination rate of k(b) = 1.1.10(11) s(-1). In the case of the "open" conformer, no intramolecular electron transfer was observed.

Self-Assembled via Axial Coordination Magnesium Porphyrin−Imidazole Appended Fullerene Dyad: Spectroscopic, Electrochemical, Computational, and Photochemical Studies

Spectroscopic, redox, and electron transfer reactions of a self-assembled donor-acceptor dyad formed by axial coordination of magnesium meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (MgTPP) and fulleropyrrolidine appended with an imidazole coordinating ligand (C(60)Im) were investigated. Spectroscopic studies revealed the formation of a 1:1 C(60)Im:MgTPP supramolecular complex, and the anticipated 1:2 complex could not be observed because of the needed large amounts of the axial coordinating ligand. The formation constant, K(1), for the 1:1 complex was found to be (1.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(4) M(-1), suggesting fairly stable complex formation. The geometric and electronic structures of the dyads were probed by ab initio B3LYP/3-21G() methods. The majority of the highest occupied frontier molecular orbital (HOMO) was found to be located on the MgTPP entity, while the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) was on the fullerene entity, suggesting that the charge-separated state of the supramolecular complex is C(60)Im(*-):MgTPP(*+). Redox titrations involving MgTPP and C(60)Im allowed accurate determination of the oxidation and reduction potentials of the donor and acceptor entities in the supramolecular complex. These studies revealed more difficult oxidation, by about 100 mV, for MgTPP in the pentacoordinated C(60)Im:MgTPP compared to pristine MgTPP in o-dichlorobenzene. A total of six one-electron redox processes corresponding to the oxidation and reduction of the zinc porphyrin ring and the reduction of fullerene entities was observed within the accessible potential window of the solvent. The excited state events were monitored by both steady state and time-resolved emission as well as transient absorption techniques. In o-dichlorobenzene, upon coordination of C(60)Im to MgTPP, the main quenching pathway involved electron transfer from the singlet excited MgTPP to the C(60)Im moiety. The rate of forward electron transfer, k(CS), calculated from the picosecond time-resolved emission studies was found to be 1.1 x 10(10) s(-1) with a quantum yield, Phi(CS), of 0.99, indicating fast and efficient charge separation. The rate of charge recombination, k(CR), evaluated from nanosecond transient absorption studies, was found to be 8.3 x 10(7) s(-1). A comparison between k(CS) and k(CR) suggested an excellent opportunity to utilize the charge-separated state for further electron-mediating processes.

Recruitment of a Foreign Quinone into the A1 Site of Photosystem I: CONSECUTIVE FORWARD ELECTRON TRANSFER FROM A0 TO A1 TO FX WITH ANTHRAQUINONE IN THE A1 SITE AS STUDIED BY TRANSIENT EPR

In photosystem I (PS I), phylloquinone (PhQ) acts as a low potential electron acceptor during light-induced electron transfer (ET). The origin of the very low midpoint potential of the quinone is investigated by introducing anthraquinone (AQ) into PS I in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters. Solvent extraction and reincubation is used to obtain PS I particles containing AQ and the iron-sulfur clusters, whereas incubation of the menB rubA double mutant yields PS I with AQ in the PhQ site but no iron-sulfur clusters. Transient electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to investigate the orientation of AQ in the binding site and the ET kinetics. The low temperature spectra suggest that the orientation of AQ in all samples is the same as that of PhQ in native PS I. In PS I containing the iron sulfur clusters, (i) the rate of forward electron transfer from the AQ*- to F(X) is found to be faster than from PhQ*- to F(X), and (ii) the spin polarization patterns provide indirect evidence that the preceding ET step from A0*- to quinone is slower than in the native system. The changes in the kinetics are in accordance with the more negative reduction midpoint potential of AQ. Moreover, a comparison of the spectra in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters suggests that the midpoint potential of AQ is more negative in the presence of F(X). The electron transfer from the AQ- to F(X) is found to be thermally activated with a lower apparent activation energy than for PhQ in native PS I. The spin polarization patterns show that the triplet character in the initial state of P700)*+AQ*- increases with temperature. This behavior is rationalized in terms of a model involving a distribution of lifetimes/redox potentials for A0 and related competition between charge recombination and forward electron transfer from the radical pair P700*+A0*-.

Dynamical Solvent Control of Electron Transfer in a Flexible, Tethered Donor−Acceptor Pair

The solvent dependence of the photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer rate constants of 1-(9-anthryl)-3-(4-dimethylaniline)propane (ADMA) is investigated by picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in polar solvents. ADMA undergoes electron transfer by two distinct mechanisms, depending on the solvent polarity. In nonpolar solvents the excited ADMA molecule must fold prior to electron transfer, whereas in polar solvents electron transfer can occur in an extended conformation. In polar solvents, ADMA exhibits biexponential fluorescence decay. This is consistent with the proposed polar mechanism of electron transfer, in which electron transfer occurs in an extended conformation, and is followed by conformational interconversion to an emissive, folded conformation. Examination of the kinetic expressions for the time-dependent population of the locally excited state of ADMA indicates that the fast decay time of the fluorescence decay is approximately equal to the inverse of the forward electron-transfer rate constant. A linear correlation is observed between the fast decay time and the amplitude weighted average solvation time determined from time-dependent Stokes shift measurements. This indicates that solvent dynamics influences the electron-transfer rate. Analysis of the results on the basis of an expression for the rate constant of adiabatic electron transfer demonstrates that the results are consistent with previous estimates of the reorganization energy and electron-transfer barrier using a dielectric continuum model. Comparison of ADMA electron-transfer rate constants in ethers with electron-transfer rate constants in polar solvents shows that ADMA undergoes electron transfer by a mechanism that is intermediate between the polar and nonpolar mechanisms in solvents of intermediate polarity.

Modeling of the P700 + Charge Recombination Kinetics with Phylloquinone and Plastoquinone-9 in the A 1 Site of Photosystem I

Light activation of photosystem I (PS I) induces electron transfer from the excited primary electron donor P700 (a special pair of chlorophyll a/ a′ molecules) to three iron–sulfur clusters, F X, F A, and F B via acceptors A 0 (a monomeric chlorophyll a) and A 1 (phylloquinone). PS I complexes isolated from menA and menB mutants contain plastoquinone-9 rather than phylloquinone in the A 1 site and show altered rates of forward electron transfer from A 1 − to [F A/F B] and altered rates of back electron transfer from [F A/F B] − to P700 + (Semenov, A. Y., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 275:23429–23438, 2000). To identify the modified electron transfer steps, we studied the kinetics of flash-induced P700 + reduction in PS I that contains either an intact set or a subset of iron–sulfur clusters F X, F A, and F B and with the A 1 binding site occupied by phylloquinone or plastoquinone-9. A modeling of the forward and backward electron transfer kinetics in P700–F A/F B complexes, P700–F X cores, and P700–A 1 cores shows that the replacement of phylloquinone by plastoquinone-9 induces a decrease in the free energy gap between A 1 and F A/F B from ∼−205 mV in wild-type PS I to ∼−70 mV in menA PS I. The +135 mV increase in the midpoint potential of A 1 explains the acceleration in the rate of P700 + dark reduction in menA PS I, and the resulting uphill electron transfer from A 1 to F X in menA PS I explains the absence of a contribution from F X − to the reduction of P700 +. This fully quantitative description of PS I relates electron transfer rates, equilibrium constants, and redox potentials, and can be used to predict changes in these parameters upon substitution of electron transfer cofactors.

Transient EPR studies of Photosystem I containing non-native quinones

The quinone acceptors in both type I and type II reaction centres play a pivotal role in light induced photosynthetic electron transfer. Although, the quinones found in the various reaction centres are structurally similar, the rates of electron transfer and nature of the subsequent acceptors vary greatly. The relationship between the properties of the quinone binding-site, the structure of the quinone and the rates of electron transfer are still not well understood. Transient EPR data for the forward and back reaction kinetics will be presented for Photosystem I, in which the native phylloquinone has been replaced by a series of foreign quinones. Our results suggest that the ability of quinones to function in the electron transport chain is governed primarily by their midpoint potentials. We find that the less negative the midpoint potential of a given quinone is the slower the forward electron transfer rate. The back reaction from the iron sulphur centres is also influenced by the presence of a foreign quinone in the A1 site clearly showing that the back reaction from FA/FB proceeds via A1. In contrast to the forward rate, the back reaction rate increases as the midpoint potential of the quinone becomes less negative. The EPR data also suggest that naphthoquinone derivatives bind more strongly to the A1 site than benzoquinone derivatives do. This observation is can be understood as a result of differences in the proposed p-stacking arrangement between PsaA-W697 (PsaB-W677) and phylloquinone.