title: Two-photon induced fluorescence of linear alkanes; a possible intrinsic lipid probe.
abstract: We measured the fluorescence emission spectra and intensity decays of the linear alkane tetradecane when excited at 300 nm by two-photon excitation. The unquenched lifetime of tetradecane in neat solution is near 4.4 ns. The emission of tetradecane centered at 210 nm is collisionally quenched by oxygen, n-propanol and water. These results suggest that aliphatic groups in non-polar environments can display good fluorescence, and that the aliphatic side chains of detergents and lipids may serve as an intrinsic fluorescent probe of micelles and bilayers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gryczynski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Razynska
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lakowicz
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000737:chemistry; D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D017785:Photons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008055:Lipids; C024713:n-tetradecane; D000433:1-Propanol