title: Quantitative photoluminescence of broad band absorbing melanins: a procedure to correct for inner filter and re-absorption effects.
abstract: We report methods for correcting the photoluminescence emission and excitation spectra of highly absorbing samples for re-absorption and inner filter effects. We derive the general form of the correction, and investigate various methods for determining the parameters. Additionally, the correction methods are tested with highly absorbing fluorescein and melanin (broadband absorption) solutions; the expected linear relationships between absorption and emission are recovered upon application of the correction, indicating that the methods are valid. These procedures allow accurate quantitative analysis of the emission of low quantum yield samples (such as melanin) at concentrations where absorption is significant.
authors.affiliation: Soft Condensed Matter Physics Group and Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science, Department of Physics, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. riesz@physics.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riesz
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meredith
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D005374:Filtration; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000737:chemistry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008543:Melanins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins; D012996:Solutions; C041877:eumelanin; D019793:Fluorescein