Resonance Raman spectra of chlorophylls dissolved in liquid crystal matrices. I. The interaction between chlorophylls and a liquid crystalline MBBA + EBBA mixture.

The resonance Raman (RR) spectra of chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b and pheophytin a dissolved in a liquid-crystalline MBBA + EBBA mixture were measured. The RR frequencies of chlorophylls in the liquid crystal (LC) are compared with those of solutions of various chlorophyll monomers and aggregates taken from the literature. It is concluded that Chl a and Chl b in LC exist largely as the solvated monomers, even at high concentration. The magnesium atoms in both Chl a and Chl b are pentacoordinated.