Photophysical and photochemical processes in zeolite cavities: The effects of ion-exchanged alkalimetal cations on the excited states of xanthone and the photolysis of 2-pentanone

The characteristics properties of xanthone phosphorescence and of 2-pentanone photolysis in alkali metal cation-exchanged zeolites have been investigated to clarify the effect of the micro-environment of host-adsorbents on the photophysical and photochemical properties of guest-molecules in restricted void spaces. The enhancement of the phosphorescence yields of xanthone included in zeolites is observed by changing the exchangeablealkali metal cation from Li⁺ to Cs⁺. Simultaneously, the phosphorescence lifetimes were observed to continuously shorten by changing the cation from Li⁺ to Cs⁺. These results suggest that the external heavy-atom effect deriving from the alkali metal cations on the singlet-triplet transitions of xanthone molecules stabilized on alkali metal cations in the order of Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺. The yields for the photolysis of 2-pentanone included in zeolites increase with changing the alkali metal cation from Li⁺ to Cs⁺. IR investigations of the adsorption state of 2-pentanone indicate that strength of the interaction between the alkali metal cations and 2-pentanones decreases by changing the cation from Li⁺ to Cs⁺, which results in a longer lifetime of 2-pentanone. The selectivity of propylene formation is dramatically increased by changing the cation from Li⁺ to Cs⁺. The enhanced formation of propylene is asociated with the hydrogen absorption from propyl radicals by lattice oxygen, their basicity increasing by changing the cation from Li⁺ to Cs⁺. Thus, these changes in the zeolite cavities modified by exchanging cations caused significant effects not only on the excited state but also on the following chemical reactions of ketones.