Exploring the Photochemistry of an Ethyl Sinapate Dimer: An Attempt Toward a Better Ultraviolet Filter

Michael D Horbury; Matthew A P Turner; Jack S Peters; Matthieu Mention; Amandine L Flourat; Nicholas D M Hine; Florent Allais; Vasilios G Stavros

doi:10.3389/fchem.2020.00633

Exploring the Photochemistry of an Ethyl Sinapate Dimer: An Attempt Toward a Better Ultraviolet Filter

Front Chem. 2020 Jul 28:8:633. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00633. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Michael D Horbury¹, Matthew A P Turner², Jack S Peters³, Matthieu Mention⁴, Amandine L Flourat⁴, Nicholas D M Hine², Florent Allais⁴, Vasilios G Stavros²

Affiliations

¹ School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
² Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
³ Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
⁴ URD ABI, CEBB, AgroParisTech, Pomacle, France.

Abstract

The photochemistry and photostability of a potential ultraviolet (UV) radiation filter, dehydrodiethylsinapate, with a broad absorption in the UVA region, is explored utilizing a combination of femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy and steady-state irradiation studies. The time-resolved measurements show that this UV filter candidate undergoes excited state relaxation after UV absorption on a timescale of ~10 picoseconds, suggesting efficient relaxation. However, steady-state irradiation measurements show degradation under prolonged UV exposure. From a photochemical standpoint, this highlights the importance of considering both the ultrafast and "ultraslow" timescales when designing new potential UV filters.

Keywords: femtosecond; photochemistry; photoprotection; sinapates; spectroscopy.