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Article: Singlet Oxygen-Introduction
- Article from:
- Photochemistry and Photobiology
- Article date:
- September 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright American Society for Photobiology Sep/Oct 2006. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Molecular oxygen, O2, is a unique and fascinating molecule that is integral to many processes that occur on earth (1). It plays a key role in the maintenance of life, and in mechanisms by which life is extinguished and materials destroyed. Despite its acknowledged significance, the study of oxygen and oxygen-dependent processes continues to present challenging problems.
The properties and behavior of oxygen reflect its unique electronic structure. Unlike many other commonly encountered molecules, oxygen's electronic ground state, O2(X^sup 3^Σ^sub g^^sup -^), is a spin triplet. As such, it often exhibits radical-like behavior in chemical reactions. Oxygen has two comparatively low-lying ...