4-Keto-bacteriorhodopsin films as a promising photochromic and electrochromic biological material

• Published in: BioSystems Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 129 - 132
• Main Authors: Druzhko, Anna B., Chamorovsky, Sergey K., Lukashev, Eugeniy P., Kononenko, Alexander A., Vsevolodov, Nikolay N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 1995
• Subjects: Absorption spectroscopy; Bacteriorhodopsin; Bacteriorhodopsins - analogs & derivatives; Bacteriorhodopsins - chemistry; Bacteriorhodopsins - radiation effects; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biocompatible Materials - radiation effects; Electric field; Electrochemistry; Electronics, Medical; Halobacterium halobium; Light; Materials Testing; Optics and Photonics; Photochemistry; Polymer matrix; Polymers; Retinal analogs; Spectrophotometry; Bacteriorhodopsin; Absorption spectroscopy; Retinal analogs; Polymer matrix; Electric field; Halobacterium halobium
• ISSN: 0303-2647; 1872-8324
• DOI: 10.1016/0303-2647(94)01499-W

Photochromic and electrochromic spectral properties of 4-keto-bacteriorhodopsin (4-keto-BR) embedded in a polymer matrix were studied. The light-induced spectral changes were found to be similar to those for 4-keto-BR in suspension, but the duration of the photocycle is substantially longer (up to ten of h). Application of a constant electric field induces a bathochromic shift of the main absorption band, the amplitude of the field-induced spectral changes, showing a quadratic dependence on the field strength. Polymer films containing bacteriorhodopsin analogs show promise as new spectrally-selective photochromic and electrochromic materials.