The excited-state lifetimes of the estrogens 17-beta estradiol and estrone were studied in various solvents. In the environment, both of these molecules can potentially affect the sexuality of wildlife. They can be degraded following absorption of light; excited state lifetimes can give information on this process. The emission lifetime for estrone varied from 0.1 to 4 ns, depending on the solvent and the emission wavelength. 17-beta estradiol's emission lifetime ranged from one nanosecond in ethyl acetate to four nanoseconds in alcohols. Similar solvent-dependent trends are found in the molecules' fluorescence quantum yields. Estrone's emission was also found to depend on the excitation wavelength used. These results have implications for the amount and type of photochemistry that these endocrine disruptors undergo.

Solvent effects on the excited lifetimes of natural estrogens

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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