Das, Sukhen and Basu, R and De, S and Ghosh, A and Minch, M and Nandy, P (1995) Photoinduced changes in structure and function of hexadecyl merocyanine dyes incorporated into lipid-membranes. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry, 85 (1-2). pp. 161-164. ISSN 1010-6030

PDF - Published Version Restricted to Registered users only Download (282Kb) | Request a copy

Abstract

In the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium, bacteriorhodopsin (BR) acts as a proton pump leading to a transmembrane potential difference. A biomimetic system can be formed using merocyanine derivative dye which, when incorporated into a bilayer lipid membrane, creates a potential difference across the membrane. In this system, the dye molecules in combination with the lipid molecules act as a proton transport pump due to a light-induced conformational change of the dye. In this paper, we report the photovoltaic properties and crystal structure of hexadecyl merocyanine dye, together with the change in peak intensity in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the dye and dye-lipid system after illumination. We show that, at room temperature (similar to 300 K), merocyanine dyes exhibit a crystalline form with a long-chain, fibre-like structure (diameter, 2.89 nm). However, on interaction with light, the crystalline form of the dye changes but the diameter remains the same.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	Microstructure and Characterization
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Bidhan Chaudhuri
Date Deposited:	22 Aug 2012 06:40
Last Modified:	23 Mar 2016 12:43
URI:	http://cgcri.csircentral.net/id/eprint/1754

Actions (login required)

View Item