title: Excitation Energy-Transfer Dynamics of Brown Algal Photosynthetic Antennas.
abstract: Fucoxanthin-chlorophyll-a/c protein (FCP) complexes from brown algae Cladosiphon okamuranus TOKIDA (Okinawa Mozuku in Japanese) contain the only species of carbonyl carotenoid, fucoxanthin, which exhibits spectral characteristics attributed to an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) property that arises in polar environments due to the presence of the carbonyl group in its polyene backbone. Here, we investigated the role of the ICT property of fucoxanthin in ultrafast energy transfer to chlorophyll-a/c in brown algal photosynthesis using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopic measurements. The observed excited-state dynamics show that the ICT character of fucoxanthin in FCP extends its absorption band to longer wavelengths and enhances its electronic interaction with chlorophyll-a molecules, leading to efficient energy transfer from fucoxanthin to chlorophyll-a.
authors: †The Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology (OCARINA), 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.|‡JST/CREST, 4-1-8 Hon-chou, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Kosumi
authors: ‡JST/CREST, 4-1-8 Hon-chou, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.|§Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kita
authors: †The Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology (OCARINA), 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.|⊥JST/PRESTO, 4-1-8 Hon-chou, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Fujii
authors: ‡JST/CREST, 4-1-8 Hon-chou, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.|§Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sugisaki
authors: #South Product Co. Ltd., 12-75 Suzaki, Uruma-shi, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Oka
authors: #South Product Co. Ltd., 12-75 Suzaki, Uruma-shi, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Takaesu
authors: #South Product Co. Ltd., 12-75 Suzaki, Uruma-shi, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Taira
authors: #South Product Co. Ltd., 12-75 Suzaki, Uruma-shi, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Iha
authors: †The Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology (OCARINA), 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.|‡JST/CREST, 4-1-8 Hon-chou, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.|§Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Hashimoto
keywords: energy transfer; excited-state dynamics; fucoxanthin chlorophyll-a/c protein complex; intramolecular charge transfer; marine algae; photosynthesis; ultrafast spectroscopy