Excitation of L-valine molecules by electrons and photons

Excitation of L-valine molecules was studied by optical spectroscopy. Optical emission spectra of the L-valine molecule and optical excitation functions of molecular bands and the H_β spectral line were measured in the gas phase using electron impact. In the spectra of optical emission in the wavelength range of 250-500 nm, intense emission bands were found at energies of incident electrons of 30, 50 and 70 eV. Analysis of structural features of the valine molecule suggested a fragmentation scheme with the formation of excited particles in collisions with electrons. A notable feature of the presented optical excitation functions is a different growth dynamics with an increase in the energy of exciting electrons and the presence of a number of features and kinks, which are especially pronounced for λ = 305 nm and λ = 311 nm. The excitation thresholds were determined from the initial sections of the excitation functions of the most intense spectral lines by the least-squares method. The photoluminescence spectra of L-valine were measured for the first time on a Shimadzu RF-6000 spectrofluorophotometer in the spectral range of 400-800 nm for excitation wavelengths of 250, 275, 333, 351, and 380 nm.