DECONVOLUTION OF FLUORESCENCE DECAY CURVES - CRITICAL COMPARISON OF TECHNIQUES

Several methods of deconvoluting fluorescence decay curves are compared. Real data for which the decay times were known provide tests of each method's ability (1) to deconvolute two-component decays having decay times of 1 and 5 ns, (2) to cope with distortions in the data resulting from instrumental artifacts, (3) to analyze sub nanosecond decay times, and (4) to separate two closely spaced decays. A new method based on Fourier transformation of the observed time profiles is included in the study, and some modifications of existing techniques are tested. It is found that all methods are satisfactory for undistorted one-component data but least-squares iterative reconvolution is most suitable for analysis when distortions are present. Only iterative reconvolution techniques and the method of modulating functions resolved satisfactorily two closely spaced decays. © 1979 American Chemical Society.