Excited state, collisional quenching

Dynamic quenching occurs within the fluorescence lifetime of the fluorophore, i.e., during the excited-state lifetime. This process is time-dependent. We have defined fluorescence lifetime as the time spent by the fluorophore in the excited state. Collisional quenching is a process that will depopulate the excited state in parallel to the other processes already described in the Jablonski diagram. Therefore, the excited-state fluorescence lifetime is lower in the presence of a collisional quencher than in its absence. 

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Laser-induced fluorescence measurements have been applied to the atmosphere since the suggestion of Baardsen and Ter-hune in 1972 that this method should be feasible. Figure 11.43 shows the energy levels and transitions involved in LIF measurements. OH is excited from its ground X2n state into the first electronically excited A22 state. The v" = 0 to r = 0 transition is around 308 nm and the v" = 0 to v = 1 at 282 nm. Two schemes have been used excitation using 282 nm into v = 1 of the upper electronic state, or excitation using 308 nm into v = 0 of the upper state. Collisional quenching deactivates some of the v = 1 into u = 0 in competition with fluorescence, mainly in the (1,1) band of the electronic transition (that is, from v = 1 of the upper state into v" =1 of the lower state). Collisional deactivation of v = 0 then occurs in competition with fluorescence in the (0,0) band at 308 nm... 

Michaels C A, Lin Z, Mullin A S, Tapalian H C and Flynn G W 1997 Translational and rotational excitation of the C02(00°0) vibrationless state in the collisional quenching of highly vibrationally excited perfluorobenzene evidence for impulsive collisions accompanied by large energy transfers J. Chem. Phys. 106 7055-71... 

In this group, there are collisional interactions, which are responsible for quenching of excited states by molecular oxygen, paramagnetic species, heavy atoms, etc. [1, 2, 13-15]. Probability of such quenching can be calculated as ... 

Quenching is the reduction in fluorescence intensity and can be caused by various processes. It occurs either during the lifetime of the excited state or in the ground state. Quenching processes that happen in the excited state are collisional quenching, charge transfer reactions, or energy transfer. The latter is the basis for FRET probes but the other events happen as well under certain conditions and it is important to consider them. 

Nonradiative processes (knr) can occur with a wide range of rate constants. Molecules with high knr values display low quantum yields due to rapid depopulation of the excited state by this route. The measured lifetime in the absence of collisional or energy transfer quenching is usually referred to as To, and is given by to = (kr + knr). ... 

As described in Chapter 3, the products of some chemical reactions are initially produced in electronically excited states. If the excited state has a sufficiently short radiative lifetime, it will emit light faster than collisional quenching by air molecules can occur (see Problem 1). The effective concentration of the emitting species (and hence emitted light intensity) is proportional to the concentrations of the reactants. As a result, the chemiluminescence intensity can be used to monitor one of the reactants if the second reactant is kept at a constant (excess) concentration. 

They also point out that the rotational distributions that are observed are smooth, with no indication that there is an abrupt change at any of the thresholds that would be appropriate for 1(21 1/2) formation. The collisional quenching studies suggest that the A(2ll) must be produced vibrationally excited up to v" =10. It would be interesting to probe how the dynamics of this state varies as the available energy is varied. 

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