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Title: Direct Measurement of the Effective Rate Constant for Primary Charge Separation in Isolated Photosystem II Reaction Centers

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry B
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp962982t· OSTI ID:915261

Transient absorption measurements of the pheophytin a anion band and Qx band bleach region using preferential excitation of P680 are performed on isolated photosystem II reaction centers to determine the effective rate constant for charge separtion. A novel analysis of the Qx band bleach region explicity takes the changing background into account in order to directly measure the rate of growth of the bleach. Both spectral regions reveal biphasic kinetics, with a ca. (8 ps)-1 rate constant for the faster component, and a ca. (50 ps)-1 rate constant for the slower component. We propose that the fster component corresponds to the effective rate constant for charge separation from within the equilibrated reaction center core and provides a lower limit for the intrinsic rate constant for charge separation. The slower component corresponds to charge separation that is limited by slow energy transfer from a long-wavelength accessory chlorophyll a.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-99-GO10337
OSTI ID:
915261
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 101, Issue 13, 27 March 1997; ISSN 1089-5647
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English