Resonance Rayleigh scattering of cyanine dyes in solution

Abstract

Every process of light absorption is inherently associated with a resonance scattering of the incident beam regardless of the nature of the absorbing molecules. Both the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index contribute to the resonance scattering, and marked depolarization is expected to be observed as a rule in the light scattered by complex molecules. The resonance and near-resonance Rayleigh scattering has been measured for a number of cyanine dyes: pseudocyanine, orthochrome T, 1,1′-diethyl-2, 2′-pyridyl-quinolyl cyanine, and pinacyanol chloride, in a number of solvents. In no case was the measured scattering intensity weaker than that expected theoretically, and good agreement between theory and experiment was found as a rule at the blue part of the absorption bands. In contrast, the measured scattering intensities exceeded (by up to fourfold) the theoretically expected values at the red parts of the absorption bands. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.