Emission spectra from copper proteins containing type-3 centres
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 23, 2026

Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR
Published on: December 16, 2013
Abstract:
Aqueous solutions of copper-proteins containing type-3 centres (ceruloplasmin, tyrosinase, haemocyanin), excited within their absorption bands at 325-345 nm, show typical luminescence spectra. The emission bands peak at 415-445 nm and their decay time is no longer than 10 ns. A strong analogous fluorescence is obtained also by excitation of concentrated solutions of carboxylic acids and amino acids, which show again absorption bands around 330 nm. Such a fluorescence, although less intense, is also observed in copper(II) carboxylate solutions. In contrast, no fluorescence has been recorded in solutions of acetic anhydride and of polypeptides (valinomycin, gramicidin D), which do not have free carboxyl groups. We tentatively attribute this novel fluorescence in the investigated copper proteins to interactions between carboxyl groups of amino acids at, or near, the active site.
More Related Videos
11:04Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
Published on: September 7, 2019
11:38Quantifying the Binding Interactions Between Cu(II) and Peptide Residues in the Presence and Absence of Chromophores
Published on: April 5, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Emission Spectra
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview
Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab