Theory of UV Absorbers and Molecular Design for Novel UV Protective Agents

Abstract

Radiationless transitions play a key role in the action of UV absorbers which attenuate the transmission of the solar UV rays to the skin by absorbing the radiation (sunscreen) and prevent polymers from photodegradation caused by UV light (polymer photostabilizer). In this article, mechanistic aspects of UV absorbers, especially the mechanism of the energy dissipating processes in the excited states, have been reviewed, and a guideline for the design of new UV protective agents is presented.