Fluorescence Spectra of Protochlorophyll, 

 Chlorophylls c and d, and Their Pheophytins 



C. S. FRENCH, JAMES H. C. SMITH, and HEMMING I. VIRGIN, 

 Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, 



California 



The fluorescence spectra of pheophytins a and b (1) as well as of 

 pheophytin d in Fig. 1 are very similar to those of the chlorophylls 

 from which they are derived except for a 2 to 13 m^ shift to longer 

 wavelengths. 



^ M 



CHlOROPHYUd In ether// V 



650 



70 7 50 m|t. 



WAVELENGTH 



Fig. 1 . The fluorescence spectra of chlorophjll d and pheophytin. 



Acid-treated chlorophyll c and protochlorophyll, however, show 

 larger shifts of the main fluorescence band, and a greatly increased 

 height and corresponding shift of the second fluorescence band, as 

 shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The absorption spectra of the same prepara- 

 tions (2) and some other chlorophjdl fluorescence spectra have been 

 published (3) or appeared elsewhere (1). 



17 



