Photoinduced electron transfer in a protein-surfactant complex: probing the interaction of SDS with BSA

Photoinduced fluorescence quenching electron transfer from N,N-dimethyl aniline to different 7-amino coumarin dyes has been investigated in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles and in bovine serum albumin (BSA)-SDS protein-surfactant complexes using steady state and picosecond time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The electron transfer rate has been found to be slower in BSA-SDS protein-surfactant complexes compared to that in SDS micelles. This observation has been explained with the help of the "necklace-and-bead" structure formed by the protein-surfactant complex due to coiling of protein molecules around the micelles. In the correlation of free energy change to the fluorescence quenching electron transfer rate, we have observed that coumarin 151 deviates from the normal Marcus region, showing retardation in the electron transfer rate at higher negative free energy region. We endeavored to establish that the retardation in the fluorescence quenching electron transfer rate for coumarin 151 at higher free energy region is a result of slower rotational relaxation and slower translational diffusion of coumarin 151 (C-151) compared to its analogues coumarin 152 and coumarin 481 in micelles and in protein-surfactant complexes. The slower rotational relaxation and translational diffusion of C-151 are supposed to be arising from the different location of coumarin 151 compared to coumarin 152 and coumarin 481.     

Photoinduced electron transfer from N,N-dimethylaniline to 7-amino coumarins in protein-surfactant complex: slowing down of electron transfer dynamics compared to micelles

Photoinduced electron transfer from N,N-dimethylaniline to different Coumarin dyes has been investigated in dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) micelles and in Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-DTAB protein-surfactant complex using steady-state and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. We observed a slower fluorescence quenching rate in the DTAB micelles and in the protein-surfactant complex as compared to that in pure acetonitrile solution. Moreover, the observed fluorescence quenching in BSA-DTAB complex was found to be slower than that in DTAB micelles. In the correlation of free-energy change with the fluorescence quenching constant we observed a deviation in the fluorescence quenching electron transfer rate for Coumarin 151 (C-151) from the normal Marcus curve. This observation is ascribed to the stronger interaction of C-151 with the surfactant molecules present in the micelles. This is evident from the slower translation diffusion (D(L)) of Coumarin 151 compared to other probe molecules.     

Photoinduced electron transfer in hydrogen bonded donor--acceptor systems. Free energy and distance dependence studies and an analysis of the role of diffusion.

The free energy dependence of electron transfer in a few small-molecule donor--acceptor systems having hydrogen-bonding appendages was studied to evaluate the role of diffusion in masking the inverted region in bimolecular PET reactions. A small fraction of the probe molecules associate and this led to the simultaneous observation of unimolecular and diffusion-mediated quenching of the probe fluorescence. Free energy dependence studies showed that the unimolecular electron transfer obeys Marcus behavior and the diffusion-mediated electron transfer obeys Rehm--Weller behavior. The absence of an inverted region in bimolecular PET reactions is thus attributed to diffusion. The results of the free energy dependence studies suggest that distance dependence of electron transfer plays a role in masking the inverted region. To ascertain this aspect we have carried out a study of the distance dependence of electron transfer in the hydrogen-bonded donor--acceptor systems. For a system in the normal region an exponential rate decrease was observed. For a system in the inverted region it was observed that the rate depends very feebly on distance. Thus distance dependence studies did not confirm the prediction of enhanced rates at larger distances in the inverted region.     

Photoinduced electron transfer reaction in polymer-surfactant aggregates: Photoinduced electron transfer between N,N-dimethylaniline and 7-amino coumarin dyes

Photoinduced electron transfer between coumarin dyes and N,N-dimethylaniline has been investigated by using steady state and picosecond time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) micelles and PVP-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (SDS) polymer-surfactant aggregates. A slower rate of electron transfer is observed in PVP-SDS aggregates than in polymer-free SDS micelles. A Marcus type inversion is observed in the correlation of free energy change in comparison with the electron transfer rate. The careful investigation reveals that C-151 deviates from the normal Marcus inverted region compared to its analogs C-152 and C-481 due to slower rotational relaxation and smaller translational diffusion coefficient.     

Simultaneous occurrence of energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer in interactions of hen egg white lysozyme with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide

The carcinogenic drug 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) has been found to bind with the protein hen egg white lysozyme as evident from fluorescence quenching experiments. The binding constant and stoichiometry have been determined. The values of the thermodynamic parameters indicate that the interaction is an enthalpy-driven spontaneous phenomenon. The experimental value of change in free energy is similar to that obtained from the docking study. The far UV circular dichroism spectra show some changes in the secondary structure of protein. The high value of bimolecular quenching constant leads to the possibility of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Along with FRET, the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from tryptophan residue of protein to 4NQO has also been evident from the transient absorption spectra obtained in laser flash photolysis experiments. The simultaneous occurrence of FRET and PET is the key factor for quenching of intrinsic fluorescence of the protein as it binds with the drug.     

Screening of exciplex formation by distant electron transfer

The excitation quenching by reversible exciplex formation, combined with irreversible but distant electron transfer, is considered by means of the integral encounter theory (IET). Assuming that the quenchers are in great excess, the set of IET equations for the excitations, free ions, and exciplexes is derived. Solving these equations gives the Laplace images of all these populations, and these are used to specify the quantum yields of the corresponding reaction products. It appears that diffusion facilitates the exciplex production and the electron transfer. On the other hand the stronger the electron transfer is, the weaker is the exciplex production. At slow diffusion the distant quenching of excitations by ionization prevents their reaching the contact where they can turn into exciplexes. This is a screening effect that is most pronounced when the ionization rate is large.     

Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer and triplet energy transfer in a steroid-linked norbornadiene-carbazole dyad

Bichromophoric compound 3 beta-((2-(methoxycarbonyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene-3-yl)carboxy)androst-5-en-17 beta-yl-[2-(N-carbazolyl)acetate] (NBD-S-CZ) was synthesized and its photochemistry was examined by fluorescence quenching, flash photolysis, and chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) methods. Fluorescence quenching measurements show that intramolecular electron transfer from the singlet excited state of the carbazole to the norbornadiene group in NBD-S-CZ occurs with an efficiency (Phi SET) of about 14 % and rate constant (kSET) of about 1.6 x 10(7) s-1. Phosphorescence and flash photolysis studies reveal that intramolecular triplet energy transfer and electron transfer from the triplet carbazole to the norbornadiene group proceed with an efficiency (TET + TT) of about 52 % and rate constant (kTET + kTT) of about 3.3 x 10(5) s-1. Upon selective excitation of the carbazole chromophore, nuclear polarization is detected for protons of the norbornadiene group (emission) and its quadricyclane isomer (enhanced absorption); this suggests that the isomerization of the norbornadiene group to the quadricyclane proceeds by a radical-ion pair recombination mechanism in addition to intramolecular triplet sensitization. The long-distance intramolecular triplet energy transfer and electron transfers starting both from the singlet and triplet excited states are proposed to proceed by a through-bond mechanism.     

Reexamination of the Rehm-Weller data set reveals electron transfer quenching that follows a Sandros-Boltzmann dependence on free energy

In a landmark publication over 40 years ago, Rehm and Weller (RW) showed that the electron transfer quenching constants for excited-state molecules in acetonitrile could be correlated with the excited-state energies and the redox potentials of the electron donors and acceptors. The correlation was interpreted in terms of electron transfer between the molecules in the encounter pair (A*/D ? A(?-)/D(?+) for acceptor A and donor D) and expressed by a semiempirical formula relating the quenching constant, k(q), to the free energy of reaction, ΔG. We have reinvestigated the mechanism for many Rehm and Weller reactions in the endergonic or weakly exergonic regions. We find they are not simple electron transfer processes. Rather, they involve exciplexes as the dominant, kinetically and spectroscopically observable intermediate. Thus, the Rehm-Weller formula rests on an incorrect mechanism. We have remeasured k(q) for many of these reactions and also reevaluated the ΔG values using accurately determined redox potentials and revised excitation energies. We found significant discrepancies in both ΔG and k(q), including A*/D pairs at high endergonicity that did not exhibit any quenching. The revised data were found to obey the Sandros-Boltzmann (SB) equation k(q) = k(lim)/[1 + exp[(ΔG + s)/RT]]. This behavior is attributed to rapid interconversion among the encounter pairs and the exciplex (A*/D ? exciplex ? A(?-)/D(?+)). The quantity k(lim) represents approximately the diffusion-limited rate constant, and s the free energy difference between the radical ion encounter pair and the free radical ions (A(?-)/D(?+) vs A(?-) + D(?+)). The shift relative to ΔG for the overall reaction is positive, s = 0.06 eV, rather than the negative value of -0.06 eV assumed by RW. The positive value of s involves the poorer solvation of A(?-)/D(?+) relative to the free A(?-) + D(?+), which opposes the Coulombic stabilization of A(?-)/D(?+). The SB equation does not involve the microscopic rate constants for interconversion among the encounter pairs and the exciplex. Data that fit this equation contain no information about such rate constants except that they are faster than dissociation of the encounter pairs to (re-)form the corresponding free species (A* + D or A(?-) + D(?+)). All of the present conclusions agree with our recent results for quenching of excited cyanoaromatic acceptors by aromatic donors, with the two data sets showing indistinguishable dependencies of k(q) on ΔG.     

Photoinduced bimolecular electron transfer kinetics in small unilamellar vesicles

Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from N,N-dimethylaniline to some coumarin derivatives has been studied in small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) of the phospholipid, DL-alpha-dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine, using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching, both below and above the phase transition temperature of the vesicles. The primary interest was to examine whether Marcus inversion [H. Sumi and R. A. Marcus, J. Chem. Phys. 84, 4894 (1986)] could be observed for the present ET systems in these organized assemblies. The influence of the topology of SUVs on the photophysical properties of the reactants and consequently on their ET kinetics has also been investigated. Absorption and fluorescence spectral data of the coumarins in SUVs and the variation of their fluorescence decays with temperature indicate that the dyes are localized in the bilayer of the SUVs. Time-resolved area normalized emission spectra analysis, however, reveals that the dyes are distributed in two different microenvironments in the SUVs, which we attribute to the two leaflets of the bilayer, one toward bulk water and the other toward the inner water pool. The microenvironments in the two leaflets are, however, not indicated to be that significantly different. Time-resolved anisotropy decays were biexponential for all the dyes in SUVs, and this has been interpreted in terms of the compound motion model according to which the dye molecules can experience a fast wobbling-in-cone type of motion as well as a slow overall rotating motion of the cone containing the molecule. The expected bimolecular diffusion-controlled rates in SUVs, as estimated by comparing the microviscosities in SUVs (determined from rotational correlation times) and that in acetonitrile solution, are much slower than the observed fluorescence quenching rates, suggesting that reactant diffusion (translational) does not play any role in the quenching kinetics in the present systems. Accordingly, clear inversions are observed in the correlation of the fluorescence quenching rate constants k(q) with the free energy change, DeltaG(0) of the reactions. However, the coumarin dyes, C152 and C481 (cf. Scheme 1), show unusually high k(q) values and high activation barriers, which is not expected from Marcus ET theory. This unusual behavior is explained on the basis of participation of the twisted intramolecular charge transfer states of these two dyes in the ET kinetics.     

Photoinduced electron transfer across linearly fused oligo-norbornyl structures

The rates of photoinduced electron transfer (ET) reactions across two oligo-norbornyl spacer groups (S), that is, structure 1 fused by two norbornadiene (NBD) units and structure 2 fused by three NBD units, are examined. Substituted naphthalene acted as an electron donor (D), whilst ethylene-1,2-dicarboxylate as an electron acceptor (A). ET rates were measured by fluorescence quenching experiments on these D-S-A dyads, and the results were correlated with reaction free energies according to the Marcus relationship. It was found that naphthalene with phenyl substituents showed relatively slower ET rates. The conformational flexibility of phenyl substituents may cause a hindrance on the electronic coupling between D and A. Another salient feature was the abnormally high quenching rates observed in nonpolar solvents such as cyclohexane, the results of which may be ascribed to a competing energy transfer process.     

One-dimensional description of multidimensional electron transfer reactions in condensed phase

We derive a one-dimensional energy diffusion equation for describing the dynamics of multidimensional electron transfer reactions in condensed phase, which is conceptually simpler and computationally more economic than the conventional approaches. We also obtain an analytical expression for the rate of electron transfer reactions for a general one-dimensional effective potential as well as an energy dependent diffusitivity. As an illustrative example, we consider application to electron transfer in a contact ion pair system modeled through harmonic potentials consisting of two slow classical modes and a high frequency vibrational mode for which the numerical results calculated using the proposed one-dimensional approach are shown to be in good agreement with experimental results. The energy diffusion equation and the rate expression for electron transfer obtained from the present theory, therefore, open up the possibility of describing the dynamics of electron transfer in complex systems, through a simpler approach.     

Photodriven electron and energy transfer from a light-harvesting metallodendrimer

Intermolecular electron and energy transfer from a light-harvesting metallodendrimer [Ru[bpy(C-450)(4)](3)](2+), where bpy(C-450)(4) is a 2,2'-bipyridine derivative containing 4 coumarin-450 units connected together through aryl ether linkages, is observed in acetonitrile solutions at room temperature. The model complex [Ru(dmb)(3)](2+), where dmb is 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, is included for quantitative comparison. The excited states of both compounds are metal-to-ligand charge transfer in nature and participate in excited-state electron and triplet energy transfer processes. Quenching constants were determined from luminescence and time-resolved absorption experiments at constant ionic strength. [Ru[bpy(C-450)(4)](3)](2+) displays significantly slower quenching rates to molecular oxygen and methyl viologen relative to the other processes investigated. Triplet energy transfer from [Ru[bpy(C-450)(4)](3)](2+) to 9-methylanthracene is quantitatively indistinguishable from [Ru(dmb)(3)](2+) while reductive electron transfer from phenothiazine was slightly faster in the former. With the exception of dioxygen quenching, our results indicate that the current dendritic structure is ineffective in shielding the core from bimolecular electron and triplet energy transfer reactions. Electrochemical measurements of [Ru[bpy(C-450)(4)](3)](2+) reveal irreversible oxidative processes at potentials slightly negative to the Ru(III/II) potential that are assigned to oxidations in the dendritic structure. Excited-state oxidative electron-transfer reactions facilitate this process resulting in the reduction of ground-state Ru(III) to Ru(II) and the trapping of the methyl viologen radical cation (MV(*+)) when methyl viologen serves as the quencher. This process generates a minimum of 9 MV(*+)'s for every [Ru[bpy(C-450)(4)](3)](2+) molecule and disassembles the metallodendrimer, resulting in the production of a [Ru(dmb)(3)](2+)-like species and "free" C-450-like dyes.     

Ground vs. excited state electron transfer: adsorbed monolayers and trimers in solution

Transient emission spectroscopy has been used to probe the rate of photoinduced electron transfer between metal centres within a novel trimeric complex [[Os(bpy)2(bpe)2][Os(bpy)2Cl]2]4+, where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridyl and bpe is trans-1,2-bis-(4-pyridyl)ethylene. Transient emission experiments on the trimer, and on [Os(bpy)2 (bpe)2]2+ in which the [Os(bpy)2 Cl]+ quenching moieties are absent, reveal that the rate of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) across the bpe bridge is 1.3 +/- 0.1 x 10(8) s(-1). Investigations into the driving forces for oxidation and reduction of the electronically excited state within the trimer indicate that quenching of the [Os(bpy)2 (bpe)2]2+ centre within the trimer involves electron transfer from the [bpe Os(bpy)2 Cl]+ centres to the electronically excited state with a driving force of -0.3 eV. Monolayers of the complex, [Os(bpy)2 bpe pyridine]2+, have been formed by spontaneous adsorption onto platinum microelectrodes and used to probe the dynamics of electron transfer across the trans-1,2-bis-(4-pyridyl)ethylene bridge in the ground state. These monolayers are stable and exhibit well defined voltammetric responses for the Os2+/3+ redox reaction. Cyclic voltammograms recorded at high scan rates can be accurately modelled according to a non-adiabatic electron transfer model based on the Marcus theory using a standard heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, k(o), of 3.1 +/- 0.2 x 10(4) s(-1) and a reorganization energy of 0.4 +/- 0.1 eV. This rate constant is a factor of approximately two orders of magnitude smaller than that found for photoinduced electron transfer across the same bpe bridge for identical driving forces. This significant difference is interpreted in terms of both the nature of the orbitals involved in electrochemically and optically driven electron transfer, as well as the strength of electronic coupling between two molecular components as opposed to a molecular component and a metal electrode.     

Intermolecular electron transfer between coumarin dyes and aromatic amines in Triton-X-100 micellar solutions: evidence for Marcus inverted region

Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) between coumarin dyes and aromatic amines has been investigated in Triton-X-100 micellar solutions and the results have been compared with those observed earlier in homogeneous medium. Significant static quenching of the coumarin fluorescence due to the presence of high concentration of amines around the coumarin fluorophore in the micelles has been observed in steady-state fluorescence studies. Time-resolved studies with nanosecond resolutions mostly show the dynamic part of the quenching for the excited coumarin dyes by the amine quenchers. A correlation of the quenching rate constants, estimated from the time-resolved measurements, with the free energy changes (DeltaG0) of the ET reactions shows the typical bell shaped curve as predicted by Marcus outer-sphere ET theory. The inversion in the ET rates for the present systems occurs at an exergonicity (-DeltaG0) of approximately 0.7-0.8 eV, which is unusually low considering the polarity of the Palisade layer of the micelles where the reactants reside. Present results have been rationalized on the basis of the two dimensional ET model assuming that the solvent relaxation in micellar media is much slower than the rate of the ET process. Detailed analysis of the experimental data shows that the diffusional model of the bimolecular quenching kinetics is not applicable for the ET reactions in the micellar solutions. In the present systems, the reactions can be better visualized as equivalent to intramolecular electron transfer processes, with statistical distribution of the donors and acceptors in the micelles. A low electron coupling (Vel) parameter is estimated from the correlation of the experimentally observed and the theoretically calculated ET rates, which indicates that the average donor--acceptor separation in the micellar ET reactions is substantially larger than for the donor--acceptor contact distance. Comparison of the Vel values in the micellar solution and in the donor--acceptor close contact suggests that there is an intervention of a surfactant chain between the interacting donor and acceptor in the micellar ET reaction.     

Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer and charge separation in zinc phthalocyanine-viologen linked system

Photoinduced electron transfer and charge separation processes in zinc phthalocya-nine-viologen linked system have been studied and the distance effect of donor/acceptor on electron transfer reaction is discussed. It is indicated that the fluorescence from the zinc phthalocyanine moiety is appreciably quenched and the life-time of singlet excited state is reduced by the pendant viologen. Time-resolved transient absorption spectra measurements show that intramolecular quenching of the triplet state of zinc phthalocyanine by the attached viologen results in charge separation giving reduced viologen radical alive for a rather long period with hundred microsecond duration. The effect of the carbon chain length on the electron transfer rate constant and charge separation efficiency suggests that upon excitation, the zinc phthalocyanine and viologen groups tend to take closer conformation with the increase of the carbon chain examined. The rate constant for the intramolecular electron transfer ket with n = 3     

Solvent mediated intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer in a fluorene-perylene bisimide derivative

Photoinduced electron transfer from fluorene to perylene bisimide has been studied for 2,7-bis(N-(1-hexylheptyl)-3,4:9,10-perylene-bisimide-N'-yl))-9,9-didodecylfluorene (PFP) in 11 different organic solvents. The intramolecular charge-separated state in PFP is almost isoenergetic with the locally excited state of the perylene bisimide. As a consequence of the small change in free energy for charge separation, the electron transfer rate strongly depends on subtle changes in the medium. The rate constant k(CS) for the electron transfer from fluorene to perylene bisimide moiety in the excited state varies over more than 2 orders of magnitude ( approximately 10(8)-10(10) s(-1)) with the solvent but does not show the familiar increase with polarity. The widely differing rate constants can be successfully explained by considering (1) the contribution of the polarization energy of the dipole moment in the transition state and by (2) the classical Marcus-Jortner model and assuming a spherical cavity for the charge-separated state. Using the first model, we show that lnk(CS) should vary linearly with Deltaf [Deltaf = (epsilon(r) - 1)/(2epsilon(r) + 1) - (n(2) - 1)/(2n(2) + 1), where epsilon(r) and n represent the static dielectric constant and the refractive index of the solvent, respectively], in accordance with experimental results. The second model, where the reorganization energy scales linearly with Deltaf, provides quantitative agreement with experimental rate constants within a factor of 2.     

Free energy correlation of rate constants for electron transfer between organic systems in aqueous solutions

Recent experimental data concerning the rate constants for electron transfer reactions of organic systems in aqueous solutions and their equilibrium constants is examined for possible correlation. The data is correlated quite well by the Marcus theory, if a reorganization parameter, λ, of 18 kcal/mole is used. Assuming that the only contribution to λ is the free energy of rearrangement of the water molecules, an effective radius of 5A?for the reacting entities is estimated. For the zero free energy change reaction, i.e., electron exchange between a radical ion and its parent molecule, a rate constant of about 5 × 10⁷ M^?1 s^?1 is predicted.     

Solvent dependence of intramolecular electron transfer in a helical oligoproline assembly

The helical oligoproline assembly CH3-CO-Pro-Pro-Pro-Pra(Ptzpn)-Pro-Pro-Pra(RuIIb2m2+ -Pro-Pro-Pra(Anq)-Pro-Pro-Pro-NH2, having a spatially ordered array of functional sites protruding from the proline backbone, has been prepared. The 13-residue assembly formed a linear array containing a phenothiazine electron donor, a tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chromophore, and an anthraquinone electron acceptor with the proline II secondary structure as shown by circular dichroism measurements. Following RuII --> b2m metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excitation at 457 nm, electron-transfer quenching occurs, ultimately to give a redox-separated (RS) state containing a phenothiazine (PTZ) radical cation at the Pra(Ptzpn) site and an anthraquinone (ANQ) radical anion at the Pra(Anq) site. The redox-separated state was formed with 33-96% efficiency depending on the solvent, and the transient stored energy varied from -1.46 to -1.71 eV at 22 +/- 2 degrees C. The dominant quenching mechanism is PTZ reductive quenching of the initial RuIII(b2m*-) MLCT excited state which is followed by m*- --> ANQ electron transfer to give the RS state. Back electron transfer is highly exergonic and occurs in the inverted region. The rate constant for back electron transfer is solvent dependent and varies from 5.2 x 10(6) to 7.7 x 10(6) s-1 at 22 +/- 2 degrees C. It is concluded that back electron transfer occurs by direct ANQ*- --> PTZ*+ electron transfer. Based on independently evaluated kinetic parameters, the electron-transfer matrix element is HDA approximately 0.13 cm-1.     

Photoinduced electron transfer reactions of pyrylium derivatives with organic sulfides in acetonitrile

The photochemistry and photophysics of pyrylium derivatives with organic sulfides in acetonitrile medium are investigated. A steady decrease in the fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetime of the dyes was observed with increase in the quencher concentration. Bimolecular quenching constants were evaluated and correlated with the free energy of electron transfer. Laser flash photolysis investigations on the dyes in presence of quenchers were done. Observation of pyranyl radical and sulfide cation radicals as intermediates clearly illustrates the electron transfer mechanistic pathway for this reaction. The radical pair energies were calculated and found to be lower than the triplet energy of the sensitisers and hence we do not see any triplet induction in the present system.     

Studies on photoinduced H-atom and electron transfer reactions of o-naphthoquinones by laser flash photolysis

The quenching of the triplets of 1,2-naphthoquinone (NQ) and 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt (NQS) by various electron and H-atom donors was investigated by laser flash photolysis measurement in acetonitrile and benzene. The results showed that the reactivities and configurations of 3NQ* (3NQS*) are governed by solvent polarity. All the quenching rate constants (kq) measured in benzene are larger than those in acetonitrile. The SO3Na substituent at the C-4 position of NQS makes 3NQS* more reactive than 3NQ* in electron/H-atom transfer reactions. Large differences of kq values were discovered in H-atom transfer reactions for alcohols and phenols, which can be explained by different H-abstraction mechanisms. Detection of radical cations of amines/anilines in time-resolved transient absorption spectra confirms an electron transfer mechanism. Triplets are identified as precursors of formed radical anions of NQ and NQS in photoinduced reactions. The dependence of electron transfer rate constants on the free energy changes (DeltaG) was treated by using the Rehm-Weller equation. For the four anilines with different substituents on the para or meta position of amidocyanogen, good correlation between log kq values with Hammett sigma constants testifies the correctness of empirical Hammett equation. Charge density distributions, adiabatic ionization/affinity potentials and redox potentials of NQ (NQS) and some quenchers were studied by quantum chemistry calculation.