Probing the Ultrafast Energy Dissipation Mechanism of the Sunscreen Oxybenzone after UVA Irradiation.
Oxybenzone is a common constituent of many commercially available sunscreens providing photoprotection from ultraviolet light incident on the skin. Femtosecond transient electronic and vibrational absorption spectroscopies have been used to investigate the nonradiative relaxation pathways of oxybenzone in cyclohexane and methanol after excitation in the UVA region. The present data suggest that the photoprotective properties of oxybenzone can be understood in terms of an initial ultrafast excited state enol → keto tautomerization, followed by efficient internal conversion and subsequent vibrational relaxation to the ground state (enol) tautomer.
†Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Lewis A
LA
Baker
†Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Michael D
MD
Horbury
†Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Simon E
SE
Greenough
‡School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
Philip M
PM
Coulter
‡School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
Tolga N V
TN
Karsili
‡School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
Gareth M
GM
Roberts
‡School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
Andrew J
AJ
Orr-Ewing
‡School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
Michael N R
MN
Ashfold
†Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Vasilios G
VG
Stavros
D001577:Benzophenones / Q000737:chemistry*; D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004735:Energy Transfer; D007536:Isomerism; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D001577:Benzophenones; D003510:Cyclohexanes; D013473:Sunscreening Agents; C506365:Cyclohexane; C005290:oxybenzone; D000432:Methanol
oxybenzone; sunscreens; transient absorption spectroscopy; ultrafast photochemistry