Abstract
FLUORESCENCE quantum yields may be determined with spectrofluorometers simply by comparing the corrected emission spectrum of an unknown substance with that of a compound of known fluorescence yield1, provided that the relative numbers of photons reaching the solutions are known. Recently, l-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulphonate (DNS) in water at 25° was used by Churchich2,3 as a fluorescence standard which was assumed to have a quantum yield of 0.53 as reported by Weber and Teale4. The assumption that this quantum yield figure was correct was also made by Slayter and Hall5 for the purpose of calculating the efficiency of energy transfer in protein -dye conjugates. The purpose of the present communication is to direct attention to the fact that while DNS may be a suitable fluorescence standard, the quantum yield figure of 0.53 is incorrect. In fact, Bowen and Seaman6 have already published data indicating that the quantum yield of DNS in water at 20° C is only about 0.29. These authors found that the quantum yields were higher in solvents of lower dielectric constant and took pains to exclude oxygen quenching by purging the solutions with a stream of carbon dioxide. Measurements of DNS quantum yield have been performed recently in this laboratory.
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CHEN, R. Fluorescence Quantum Yield of I-Dimethyl-aminonaphthalene-5-sulphonate. Nature 209, 69 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/209069a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/209069a0
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