Electron Spin Resonance Study on the Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Chlorophyll a in Reconstituted Lipid Bilayer Vesicles

The photoinduced electron transfer from chlorophyll a through the interface of positively charged dioctadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DODAC), neutral dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and negatively charged dihexadecylphosphate (DHP) headgroup of the lipid bilayers was studied. The photoinduced radicals were identified by electron spin resonance (ESR) and radical yields of chlorophyll a were determined by double integration of the ESR spectra. The formation of vesicles was identified indirectly by measuring change of the lambda (max) value of optical absorption spectrophotometer from diethyl ether solution to vesicle solutions, and observed directly with scanning and transmission electron microscopic images. The interaction distance between chlorophyll a and interface water (D2O) determined by deuterium modulation depth with electron spin echo modulation (ESEM) showed a decreasing order DODAC > DPPC > DHP. The interface charge of each vesicle was determined with zeta potential measurement. The interface charge of the lipid bilayers affected the radical yields of chlorophyll a more critically than the interaction distance between chlorophyll a and interface water.