Nuclear tunnelling radiationless transitions

In 1976 TET was first applied to H abstractions [53]. One year later Suhnel [54] used TET to explain radiationless transitions in indigoid compounds, and Phillips [55] tested the harmonic approximation used by the theory in H abstractions. CT interactions [56] and substituent effects [57] in H abstractions were also addressed, as well as H abstractions by uranyl ion [58]. Support for TET also came from the demonstration [59] that in radiationless transitions theories, some Franck-Condon factors may be expressed by a nuclear tunneling formula like the TET one. 

In the quantum-mechanical theories the intersection of the potential energy surfaces is deemphasized and the electron transfer is treated as a radiationless transition between the reactant and product state. Time dependent perturbation theory is used and the restrictions on the nuclear configurations for electron transfer are measured by the square of the overlap of the vibrational wave functions of the reactants and products, i.e. by the Franck-Condon factors for the transition. Classical and quantum mechanical description converge at higher temperature96. At lower temperature the latter theory predicts higher rates than the former as nuclear tunneling is taken into account. 

Next, two models designed to deal with nuclear tunneling will be discussed the PKS model and the Bixon-Jortner model. The Bixon-Jortner model (1968) provided the conceptual basis for the understanding of radiationless transitions in excited electronic and vibrational states. 

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