Excitation energy transfer between β-carotene and chlorophyll-a in various systems

Abstract

The excitation energy transfer from β-carotene to chlorophyll-a in several seminatural systems such as liposomes, lipid layers and PSI complex has been studied at room and liquid nitrogen temperature. Only in a case of PSI complex an efficient energy transfer (about 30%) from β-carotene to chlorophyll-a has been observed. The results of energy transfer were discussed on the ground of Dexter's mechanism by taking into account the recently discovered energy level (¹Ag) of β-carotene.