Excitation energy transfer in cellulosics: Indications of inter-fibre fluorescence resonance energy transfer

摘要

The photochemical behaviour of lignocellulosic pulps remains a vigorous field of study due in part to the practical benefits that could be incurred if this process was significantly retarded or halted. The contribution of excitation energy transfer to the overall photochemical process is largely unknown. This work investigates the potential for inter-fibre energy transfer using a model system incorporating viscose fibres functionalized with a well-known coumarin-fluorescein dye pair. Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy is used to investigate the occurrence of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer between fibres. The resultant emission spectra correlate well with sheet consolidation as measured by wet pressing pressure. The technique presented here has applications to studying lignocellulosic photochemistry as well as fundamental paper and fibre physics due to the potential for direct probing of the fibre-fibre interface.