Term: excitation-emission spectrum
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02249

Definition:
The three-dimensional spectrum generated by scanning the emission spectrum at incremental steps of excitation wavelength (x axis = emission wavelength, y axis = excitation wavelength, z axis = emission flux) is called a (fluorescence, phosphorescence) excitation-emission spectrum (or EES). The spectra are particularly useful for investigating samples containing more than one emitting species. Corrected EES are obtained if (a) the emission is corrected for instrumental response with wavelength, and (b) the exciting radiation flux in photons s-1 is held constant for all excitation wavelengths.

Related Terms:
1) emission spectrum (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02060).
2) wavelength (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.W06659).
3) excitation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02248).
4) fluorescence (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.F02453).
5) phosphorescence (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04569).

Source: PAC, 1984, 56, 231. 'Nomenclature, symbols, units and their usage in spectrochemical analysis-Part VI: molecular luminescence spectroscopy' on page 242 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198456020231)

Citation: 'excitation-emission spectrum' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02249

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