Photosensitization of Amino Acids by Di‐cyan‐hemin: Kinetic and Epr Studies

The low spin hemin derivative di‐cyan‐hemin can sensitize the photooxidation of amino acids. The efficiency of this dye as a photosensitizer is generally lower than that of other porphyrins such as hematoporphyrin in aqueous solution, but it is significantly enhanced by addition of ethanol. On the basis of the identified photooxidation end‐products of some amino acids, photooxidation kinetic data and EPR measurements, it appears that methionine is quantitatively converted to methionine sulfoxide by a pure Type II (singlet oxygen) mechanism, whereas in the case of cysteine and tryptophan a mixed Type ILType II mechanism is probably operative.