An observation concerning electronically excited retinal.
The observation of Mathies and Stryer of highly polar excited electronic states of all-trans-retinal, its unprotonated Schiff base, a salt of the protonated Schiff base, and 11-cis-retinal leads us to propose a possible consequence of the existence of such species. The highly polar excited molecule may have sufficient potential to oxidize its surroundings, thus achieving a transfer of one electron. Experimental evidence is combined with crude model calculations to support the possible role of these excited states as electron transfer agents.
Chemistry Department, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.
J
J
Simons