Method and apparatus for investigating the conformation of optically active molecules by measuring parameters associated with their luminescence

摘要

The conformation of optically active molecules is investigated by projecting a monochromatic and unpolarized beam of light into a sample cell containing such molecules for causing the latter to luminesce, providing optical modulating means for intensity modulating polarized light in the radiation incident on the modulating means, beaming a portion of the luminescent output of the sample cell on the modulating means in such a way as to minimize the amount of linearly polarized light incident on the modulating means, and measuring the intensity of light at a predetermined wavelength emerging from the modulating means. The luminescent output of the sample cell incident on the modulating means contains a small amount of circularly polarized light in the presence of a large amount of unpolarized light. Only the circularly polarized light will be intensity modulated at the frequency of operation of the modulating means enabling the quantity of circularly polarized light to be established from the magnitude of the portion of the measured intensity that varies at the same frequency.PPThis invention relates to a method of and apparatus for investigating the conformation of optically active molecules by measuring parameters associated with their luminescence.