Quantitative Analysis of Photochemical Reactions Utilizing High Pressure Liquid Chromatography: Linear Polyenes Related to Vitamin A

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Abstract
A procedure is described whereby qualitative and quantitative information of a photochemical reaction can be obtained by utilization of high pressure liquid chromatographic methods to separate, identify, and quantify the reaction photoproducts. When coupled with knowledge of the irradiation sources photon flux, which can be obtained using a chemical actinomer, quantitative results are readily calculated. This method has been employed to determine absolute quantum yields for the cis-trans photoisomerizations (ΦPI) of various configurational isomers of linear polyenes related to Vitamin A, and is illustrated using all-trans- and 11-cis-13-demethyleretinal. HPLC analyses of photoequilibrium reaction mixtures are presented. Application of other analytical techniques to characterize photochemical reactions is discussed.