The photochemical behavior of dichromated gelatin and of different aminoacids-chromium (VI) systems was investigated. The photoredox process that takes place between chromium (VI) (complexed or not) and the organic moiety leads to the formation of chromium (V) which is then reduced to chromium (III) likely complexed in the medium. In chromium (VI)-aminoacids systems, the quantum yield (Phi) , that measures the efficiency of a photon at a given wavelength, strongly depends on the reductive properties of the aminoacid. (Phi) is proportional to aminoacid concentration. In irradiated DCG films, the formation of chromium (V) is observed and this intermediate species appears to be surprisingly stable in the polymeric matrix. For the first time, we were able to quantitatively measure the formation of Chromium (V) in dichromated photosensitive materials.

Date Published: 9 June 1998
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 3282, Photosensitive Optical Materials and Devices II, (9 June 1998);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3282:
Photosensitive Optical Materials and Devices II
Mark P. Andrews, Editor(s)