Variational Method for Estimating the Dipole Moment in the Second Excited State of Fluorescein Molecule from its Electronic UV Absorption Spectra

Electro-optical parameters of fluorescein molecule in the second excited electronic state and information on the interactions with solvents were obtained from a solvatochromic study. Parameters of the solvents such as the refractive index, electrical permittivity and Kamlet-Taft parameters (hydrogen bond acidity and basicity) were related with the experimentally recorded shifts of UV absorption spectral band of fluorescein dissolved in several solvents. Through a variational method, the electric dipole moment and polarizability in excited state of fluorescein molecule were estimated. The calculus requires some parameters of the fluorescein molecule in the ground electronic state, which were determined through a quantum-mechanical study.

Variational Method for Estimating the Dipole Moment in the Second Excited State of Fluorescein Molecule from its Electronic UV Absorption Spectra

Electro-optical parameters of fluorescein molecule in the second excited electronic state and information on the interactions with solvents were obtained from a solvatochromic study. Parameters of the solvents such as the refractive index, electrical permittivity and Kamlet-Taft parameters (hydrogen bond acidity and basicity) were related with the experimentally recorded shifts of UV absorption spectral band of fluorescein dissolved in several solvents. Through a variational method, the electric dipole moment and polarizability in excited state of fluorescein molecule were estimated. The calculus requires some parameters of the fluorescein molecule in the ground electronic state, which were determined through a quantum-mechanical study. Keywords: fluorescein; solvatochromism; dipole moment in the second excited state; UV spectra; quantum-mechanical characterization

A Simple Microfluidic Chip Design for Fundamental Bioseparation

A microchip pressure-driven liquid chromatographic system with a packed column has been designed and fabricated by using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). The liquid chromatographic column was packed with mesoporous silica beads of Ia3d space group. Separation of dyes and biopolymers was carried out to verify the performance of the chip. A mixture of dyes (fluorescein and rhodamine B) and a biopolymer mixture (10 kDa Dextran and 66 kDa BSA) were separated and the fluorescence technique was employed to detect the movement of the molecules. Fluorescein molecule was a nonretained species and rhodamine B was attached onto silica surface when dye mixture in deionized water was injected into the microchannel. The retention times for dextran molecule and BSA molecule in biopolymer separation experiment were 45 s and 120 s, respectively. Retention factor was estimated to be 3.3 for dextran and 10.4 for BSA. The selectivity was 3.2 and resolution was 10.7. Good separation of dyes and biopolymers was achieved and the chip design was verified.