Molecular light switch effect

Molecular electronics, class II mixed-valence complexes, 41 303-304 Molecular light switch effect, 43 148 Molecular mechanisms, cobalt(III) hexaamines, 35 119-120 Molecular orbital calculations... 

The data concerning [Ru(phen)2 (dppz)] + nicely illustrate the concept of molecular light switch (dppz for 28). When the complex is bound to DNA, the excited-state lifetime is approximately 200 ns, whereas without bounding, it is only 200 ps. This light-switch effect provides the basis for a valuable photophysical probe of nucleic acids. Luminescent characteristics of the complexes bound to DNA can also be used to illustrate the chiral discrimination associated with binding to the right-handed helix. Direct oxidation of... 

Another group of conjugated thiophene molecules for future appHcations are those being developed as nonlinear optical (NLO) devices (75). Replacement of benzene rings with thiophene has an enormous effect on the molecular nonlinearity of such molecules. These NLO molecules are able to switch, route, and modulate light. Technology using such materials should become available by the turn of the twenty-first century. 

The molecular hyperpolarizabilities are / , 7, and a is the molecular polarizability. Typical values of / are 10 30 esu (esu units mean that the dimensions are in CGS units and the charge is in electrostatic units, thus / in esu means / in units of cmzesuz /erg2) [1-4]. For an electric field typical of Q-switched laser light, 104 statvolts/cm, the contribution to - //(0) from /3S2 is 10 4 debye. These polarizations are infinitesimal on the scale of our usual chemical thinking. Yet, these small polarizations are responsible for the exotic effects described throughout this volume. The perturbation theory approach used to describe these properties is justified by the fact that so little charge actually moves. 

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