title: Primary photochemistry of reaction centers from the photosynthetic purple bacteria.
abstract: Photosynthetic organisms transform the energy of sunlight into chemical potential in a specialized membrane-bound pigment-protein complex called the reaction center. Following light activation, the reaction center produces a charge-separated state consisting of an oxidized electron donor molecule and a reduced electron acceptor molecule. This primary photochemical process, which occurs via a series of rapid electron transfer steps, is complete within a nanosecond of photon absorption. Recent structural data on reaction centers of photosynthetic bacteria, combined with results from a large variety of photochemical measurements have expanded our understanding of how efficient charge separation occurs in the reaction center, and have changed many of the outstanding questions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Washington University, 63130, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kirmaier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holten