Absorption-Corrected Spectral Studies of the Lucigenin Chemiluminescence Reaction

Abstract

With a spectrometer based on two multichannel detectors, luminescence and absorption spectra are acquired simultaneously during the reaction between lucigenin and H2O2 in a basic solution. Alterations in the fluorescence and chemiluminescence spectral contours occur during the reaction, due to time-dependent inner filter effects caused by the changing absorption of the emission radiation by reactants, intermediates, or products. The spectrometer uses the measured absorbances and appropriate equations for automatic correction of luminescence spectra for inner filter effects. The corrected spectra demonstrate that the primary fluorescent product of the reaction, N-methyl acridone, is not the primary chemiluminescent emitting species.