Polar solvents, internal charge

Intramolecular charge transfer in p-anthracene-(CH2)3-p-Ar,Af-dimethylaniline (61) has been observed174 in non-polar solvents. Measurements of fluorescence-decay (by the picosecond laser method) allow some conclusions about charge-transfer dynamics in solution internal rotation is required to reach a favourable geometry for the formation of intramolecular charge-transfer between the donor (aniline) and the acceptor (anthracene). 

A subsequent picosecond electronic absorption spectroscopic study of TPE excited with 266- or 355-nm, 30-ps laser pulses in cyclohexane found what was reported previously. However, in addition to the nonpolar solvent cyclohexane, more polar solvents such as THF, methylene chloride, acetonitrile, and methanol were employed. Importantly, the lifetime of S lp becomes shorter as the polarity is increased this was taken to be evidence of the zwitterionic, polar nature of TPE S lp and the stabilization of S lp relative to what is considered to be a nonpolar Sop, namely, the transition state structure for the thermal cis-trans isomerization. Although perhaps counterinmitive to the role of a solvent in the stabilization of a polar species, the decrease in the S lp lifetime with an increase in solvent polarity is understood in terms of internal conversion from to So, which should increase in rate as the S -So energy gap decreases with increasing solvent polarity. Along with the solvent-dependent hfetime of S lp, it was noted that the TPE 5ip absorption band near 425 nm is located where the two subchromophores— the diphenylmethyl cation and the diphenylmethyl anion—of a zwitterionic 5ip should be expected to absorb hght. A picosecond transient absorption study on TPE in supercritical fluids with cosolvents provided additional evidence for charge separation in 5ip. 

However, whether the kcs (rate constant for CS) -AGCS relation could be reproduced satisfactorily by this equation in nonpolar or less polar solvents was not clear. On the other hand, it is important for the photochemistry of the higher excited state to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of their competing or associated processes (S2 — S, internal conversion (IC), charge recombination (CR), etc.) leading to the lower energy states. 

The electronic absorption, fluorescence and excitation spectra of these compounds indicate the presence of an internal charge transfer (ICT) excited state giving rise to a fluorescence band that displays strong solvatochromism. Both the emission wavelengths and the Stokes shifts increase with solvent polarity, in agreement with a large increase in dipole moment in the excited state. As the chain length increases the... 

The solvent surrounding a polar molecule polarizes itself generating a reaction field at the chromophore position [51, 52]. The electronic polarization of the solvent is very fast and, as such, only results in a renormalization of the electronic states [84]. The slow orientational component of the solvent polarization, as occurring in polar solvents instead plays essentially the same role as internal vibrations, the main difference being that the relevant solvation coordinate is a very slow, actually overdamped coordinate [74, 85]. The similarity of polar solvation and vibrational coupling is not accidental in pp chromophores molecular vibrations induce a flux of electronic charge back and forth between the D and A sites and hence plays exactly the same role as an electric field [86]. Much as with the reaction field, the amplitude of the oscillations self-consistently depends on the molecular polarity. 

Z polarity scale. A solvent polarity scale proposed by Koso ver [Kosower 1958a, 1958b] based on the energy of the electronic transition of the 1 -ethyl-4-carbomethoxypyridinium iodide that is strongly solvent-dependent. This is a measure of an internal charge transfer process. The original set of Z values being quite small, it was successively extended by means of other indicators (Table L2). 

Theoretical papers on effects directly observable in the very short time regime are notable in this years collection. The theory of femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy of ultrafast Internal conversion processes in polyatomic molecules has been developed using the behaviour of the excited pyrazine molecule as an example . The solvation dynamics for an ion pair in a polar solvent can now be examined by the time dependence of fluorescence and by direct observation of photoinduced charge... 

In summary, no single theory can be used for a quantitative interpretation of solvent-dependent emission spectra, 1110 trends observed with solvent polarity follow the theory for general solvent effects, but there are often aildi-tional shifts due to specific interactions and to the formation of internal charge-transfer states. 

Ill) INTERNAL CHARGE TRANSFER (I.C.T.) EXCITED STATE IN POLAR SOLVENTS... 

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