BETA-CYCLODEXTRIN SOLID-MATRIX LUMINESCENCE CHARACTERIZATION OF STEREOISOMERIC TETROLS

beta-Cyclodextrin-salt mixtures were investigated as solid matrices for the room-temperature luminescence of tetrols. Tetrols are degradation products from benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts and are stereoisomeric. The luminescence spectral properties of the four tetrols showed similar properties when adsorbed on beta-cyclodextrin-salt mixtures. Several "heavy atom" salts were investigated for enhancing the room-temperature phosphorescence of the tetrols. However, there was only a moderate increase in their phosphorescence with a heavy atom present. In general, beta-cyclodextrin-sodium chloride matrices were very effective in yielding phosphorescence from the tetrols. For example, femtomole limits of detection were obtained for the tetrols. The room-temperature phosphorescence lifetimes of the adsorbed tetrols showed a wide range of values which depended on the characteristics of the solid matrices, but they enabled a sensitive room-temperature time-resolved phosphorescence method to be developed for a mixture of two of the tetrols.