On the long-lived transient absorption observed in nanosecond laser photolysis studies of two polymethine cyanine dyes

It is shown that the long-lived transient absorption which is observed when solutions of cryptocyanine and DDI (1, 1′-diethyl-2, 2′-dicarbocyanine iodide) in methanol and other alcohols are exposed to nanosecond ruby laser pulses arises from a photoproduct whose formation requires consecutive absorption of two photons.