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Effect of Gases on the Electrical Conductivity of β-Carotene

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Abstract

WE have studied the semiconductive and photoconductive properties of single crystals of β- carotene1. During these and other studies, changes in the electrical conductivity in the presence of oxygen have been observed1,2. The effect of gases on the conductivity of other organic crystals3–8 has indicated that these changes are caused by donor–acceptor interactions between the gas and the crystal. Studies of this type have been largely carried out with anthracene, which is generally regarded as an electron donor, and chloranil, an electron acceptor. β-Carotene, it has been said, should be both a good electron donor and also a good electron acceptor9. These properties of β-carotene are of interest in relation to Platt's theory of the role of β-carotene in the primary photosynthetic process10, and may be relevant to the mechanism of olfaction where it has been proposed that interactions between gas molecules and carotenoids may be involved11–13. Here we present the results of an initial qualitative survey of the effect of various gases and vapours on the conductivity of single crystals of all trans β-carotene.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Biophysics Unit, Unilever Research Laboratory, The Frythe, Welwyn, Hertfordshire

    R. J. CHERRY & D. CHAPMAN

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  1. R. J. CHERRY
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  2. D. CHAPMAN
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CHERRY, R., CHAPMAN, D. Effect of Gases on the Electrical Conductivity of β-Carotene. Nature 215, 956–957 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/215956b0

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