Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Synthesis of Plant Phenol-derived Polymeric Dyes for Direct or Mordant-based Hair Dyeing
Published on: December 1, 2016
Photoinduced formation of thiols in human hair
M V Fedorkova1, N N Brandt2, A Yu Chikishev2
1Federal Scientific Clinical Centre of Physical Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pyrogovskaya 1-a, Moscow 119435, Russia.
Abstract:
Raman, scanning electron, and optical microscopy of hair and spectrophotometry of soluble hair proteins are used to study the effect of UV-vis radiation on white hair. The samples of a healthy subject are irradiated using a mercury lamp and compared with non-irradiated (control) hair. The cuticle damage with partial exfoliation is revealed with the aid of SEM and optical microscopy of semifine sections. Gel filtration chromatography shows that the molecular weight of soluble proteins ranges from 5 to 7kDa. Absorption spectroscopy proves an increase in amount of thiols in a heavier fraction of the soluble proteins of irradiated samples under study. Raman data indicate a decrease in the amount of SS and CS bonds in cystines and an increase in the amount of SH bonds due to irradiation. Such changes are more pronounced in peripheral regions of hair. Conformational changes of hair keratins presumably related to the cleavage of disulfide bonds, follow from variations in amide I and low-frequency Raman bands. An increase in the content of thiols in proteins revealed by both photometric data on soluble proteins and Raman microspectroscopy of hair cuts can be used to develop a protocol of the analysis of photoinduced hair modification.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Preparation and Reactions of Thiols
Structure and Nomenclature of Thiols and Sulfides
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair Growth and Types
Sulfur Assimilation
Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox...

