Abstract
A new mechanism for the primary photoinduced charge separation in photosynthesis is proposed. It involves as a real intermediate between the excited special pair state P* and the primary charge separated state P+ HL – a trip-trip-singlet BT BL T, which consists of a triplet on the dimer P and a further triplet on the monomer BL. Both combine to a singlet. The electron transfer is caused by spin exchange couplings. The transient spectrum of the short lived intermediate, formerly taken as evidence for the charge transfer state P+ BL –, is reinterpreted as a transient excitation of this trip-trip singlet.
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Received: 2 June 1997 / Accepted: 18 July 1997
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Fischer, S., Scherer, P. Charge separation in photosynthesis via a spin exchange coupling mechanism. Eur Biophys J 26, 477–483 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002490050102
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002490050102