Transient excited singlet state absorption in Rhodamine 6G

Transient excited singlet state absorption (ESSA) has been studied in Rhodamine 6G in ethanol using a nitrogen laser and nitrogen laser-pumped dye laser. Broad absorption with several submaxima and possible shoulders, which represent the vibrational structure, has been observed in Rhodamine 6G in the region, 4175–4640 Å. The position of the lowest vibrational level of the first excited singlet stateS ₁ has been determined from the crossing point of the long and short wavelength spectral wings of absorption and fluorescence respectively. The energy level scheme of the molecule has been obtained with the help of the absorption and fluorescence spectra recorded. The observed structure in ESSA has been tentatively interpreted to be due to transitions from the different vibrational levels ofS ₁ to one or more vibrational levels of the upper singlet electronic stateS ₄.     

Rapid internal conversion in a symmetric molecule LD 700 studied by means of femtosecond fluorescence depletion

The rapid internal conversion dynamics at room temperature is determined by using the femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence depletion measurements of a complex solvated molecule of LD 700 (rhodamine 700) combined with steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as quantum chemical calculation. The molecule is excited by a 50fs laser pulse at 400nm which directly populated the highly excited singlet state, the rapid internal conversions (ICs) are observed, which leads to the directional changes of the emission transition moment following photoexcitation to the highly excited singlet state S₅ of LD 700.     

Spectroscopic investigations of a novel push-pull azo compound embedded in rigid polymer

A new heterocyclic push-pull azo compound-in-poly(methymethacrylate) (PMMA) film has been made by means of the spin-coating method. The spectroscopic properties of the films have been investigated with the steady-state absorption spectra, and steady-state fluorescence and femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectra in the first time, which is an important characteristic for the application of the film. The excited singlet (S₁) state lifetimes for trans and cis isomers of the film at room temperature have been measured. The excited triplet (T₁) state lifetime of cis isomer of the film has been obtained. The electronic structure of the film has been explained. The results show that the aggregate state of the azo molecules greatly influences its absorption spectra.     

Lowest excited states of 2-aminopurine

Absorption and fluorescene spectra and quantum yields of emission over a wide range of pH and solvent polarity were measured for 2-aminopurine and 2-dimethylaminopurine. An increase in dipole moment and a rise of pK values for N₁(N₃) ring atom protonation in the excited state were demonstrated. Thus, the lowest excited singlet state shows partially the (1, a_π¹) configuration. The polarization, lifetimes and the phosphorescence-to-fluorescence ratios indicate that spin-orbit coupling of ¹(n, π¹) and ¹(1, a_π¹) with the lowest triplet state is the main source of phosphorescence intensity. The matrix element of spin-orbit coupling of ¹(n, π¹) to the T₁ state is about 33 times larger than that of ¹(1, a_π¹). The temperature- dependent process of 2-aminopurine fluorescence quenching in either is presumably due to the thermal population of the second excited triplets state of (n, π¹) configuration, which can approximately be located at 370 cm^-1 above the lowest (1, a_π¹) singlet.     

Features of Emission and Absorption of Indotricarbocyanine Dyes on Excitation to Higher Electronic States

The manifestation of ion pairs in the absorption and emission of fluorescence by symmetric indotricarbocyanine dyes with the same cation and anions Br, I, and BF₄ in ethanol, methylene chloride, and dichlorobenzene has been investigated. It is shown that the formation of ion pairs on passing to low-polarity solvents, along with the changes in the electronic absorption and emission spectra, manifests itself in the polarization and fluorescence excitation spectra. We were the first to establish that the presence of an equilibrium mixture of contact ion pairs and free ions in solutions has an effect on the position and probabilities of transitions not only for the first but also for higher excited singlet states of the molecules of polymethine dyes. The formation of ion pairs manifests itself more clearly when the spectral-luminescence properties of compounds in the shortwave spectral region are analyzed. It has been established that marked changes arise in the absorption, excitation, emission, and polarization fluorescence spectra, as well as in the lifetime and quantum yield of fluorescence in this spectral region when the solvent is changed.     

Vapor-phase fluorescence spectra from the second excited singlet state of pyrene and its derivatives

Vapor-phase fluorescence spectra have been measured for pyrene and its simple derivatives, i.e., pyrene-d₁₀, 1-methylpyrene, and 4-methylpyrene. Each of these derivatives shows a weak fluorescence emission which is similar to the fluorescence from the second excited singlet state (S₂) of pyrene and is to be assigned to the S₂-fluorescence. The methyl substitution causes frequency shifts (Δν) in both absorption and fluorescence, and the Δν values for absorption and fluorescence transitions that are associated with the same excited state, i.e., the first excited singlet state (S₁) or the second excited singlet state (S₂), are approximately equal to each other. When the excitation energy increases, the S₂-fluorescence shifts gradually to the red in almost the same way as the S₁-fluorescence. The S₂-fluorescence spectrum has a sort of mirror-image relation to the S₂-absorption. A comparison of S₂-emissions of pyrene and pyrene-d₁₀ suggests that the ratio between the quantum yields of S₂- and S₁-fluorescence may be related to a ratio $\text{?}{}_2\text{?}{}_1$, where ?₁ and ?₂ are the densities of vibrational states in S₁ and S₂ at the energy of excitation.     

B-type delayed fluorescence of rubreneperoxide in solution.

B-type of delayed fluorescence was observed for the first time for rubreneperoxide. Rubreneperoxide molecules were excited in a two step process. In the first step an excited singlet S₁ is created, which undergoes intersystem crossing to T₁; then T-T absorption creates an excited triplet rubreneperoxide molecule, which returns to the first excited singlet level by intersystem crossing. The recreated first excited singlet of rubreneperoxide decays back to the ground state by emitting B-type of delayed fluorescence.     

High Resolution B-Type Delayed Fluorescence of Dibenzanthracene in PMMA

B-Type delayed fluorescence of 1,2,3,4-dibenzanthracene in PMMA was experimentally observed for the first time. Dibenzanthracene molecules were exerted in a two-step process. In the first step, an excited singlet S₁ is created, which undergoes intersystem crossing to T₁ then T-T absorption creates an excited triplet dibenzanthracene molecule, which returns to the first exerted singlet level by intersystem crossing. The recreated first excited singlet of dibenzanthracene decays back to the ground state by emitting this new type of delayed fluorescence.     

Correspondence of Fluorescing States of Naphthols and Naphtholate Anions and its Effect on the Calculation of pKa∗ from Spectral Shifts

The validity of dissociation constants of electronically excited acids and bases, calculated from spectral shifts^1,2 accompanying protolytic dissociation, especially where shifts of fluorescence spectra are employed, is dependent, among other factors, upon fluorescence orginating from excited states of the same electronic configuration in both acid and conjugate base.³ In some of the molecules whose excited state acid-base properties have been most extensively studied, notably some derivatives of naphthalene, energy level reversals have been shown to accompany dissociation in the lowest excited singlet state in aqueous solutions.⁴ The spectroscopic properties and excited state dissociation phenomena of the naphthols have been studied extensively from several points of view.^5-9 While the calculation of the excited state dissociation properties of β-naphthol, in which fluorescence occurs from the ¹L_b state in both anion and neutral molecule, presents no particular problem with regard to correspondence of the lowest excited singlet states of conjugate acid and base, it appeared that in α-naphthol, by analogy with α-naphthylamine⁴, fluoescence might occur from the ¹L_a state in the conjugate base and from the ¹L_b state in the conjugate acid. Thus it seemed that a careful consideration of the states from which the fluorescences of the conjugate species derived from α-naphthol in fluid aqueous solutions orginated, would be useful.     

Electron-lattice interaction of Ag− and Cu− centers in alkali halides

Absorption, emission, and excitation spectra of Ag^? centers in KCl, RbCl, CsCl, and CsBr are measured at low temperatures. The positions of theA emission bands are slightly different afterC andA band excitation, respectively. This is believed to be due to the existence of two different types of minima in the adiabatic potential energy surface of the³ T _1u state. The symmetry of the energy minima in the¹ T _1u state is trigonal for KCl∶Ag^? and Cu^?, but tetragonal for CsBr∶Ag^?. This becomes evident from the polarization properties of the emission. The energy and temperature dependence of the polarization is discussed. Uniaxial stress causes polarized emission of Ag^? and Cu^? centers measured from LHeT to 100 K. This is due to a splitting and mixing of the relaxed excited states by the stress. The effects are used to calculate the coupling constants between thep electron and theE _g andT _2g lattice modes. They are compared with predictions from the point-charge model for different lattice structures. A new assignment of the absorption bands of KCl∶Cu^? to the excited states of Cu^? is established on measurements of emission spectra and lifetimes.     

Photophysical studies on axially substituted indium and gallium phthalocyanines upon UV-Vis laser irradiation

A series of results from different photophysical experiments on indium and gallium phthalocyanine (Pc) compounds is reported. Gallium Pc's have much longer singlet and triplet excited state lifetimes in comparison with indium Pc's. The strong reverse saturable absorption observed at 532 nm excitation is a consequence of the increase in absorbance of Pc's in the triplet excited state in the optical window comprised between Q- and B-bands, as verified upon laser irradiation with ns pulses at 355 nm. Using C₆₀ as a reference, the intersystem cross quantum yields of tBu₄PcInCl and tBu₄PcGaCl are 0.70 and 0.36, respectively.     

Excited state absorption dynamics of fast relaxing dye no. 5

The excited state absorption dynamics of the fast mode-locking dye No. 5 for Nd-glass lasers is investigated. The excited state absorption cross-section σ_ex for 1.053 μm picosecond pulse excitation is determined from energy transmission measurements. The excited state absorption populates a higher lying singlet state S₄. The population lifetime τ₄ of this state is determined from two-step excited fluorescence quantum yield measurements. The obtained values are σ_ex= (5.5±1)×10^-17 cm² and τ₄=60±20 fs.     

Ground state and singlet excited state of laser dye DCM: Dipole moments and solvent induced spectral shifts

The solvent-induced shifts of the absorption and emission spectra of 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-p-dimethyl-amino-styryl- 4H-pyran (DCM) have been studied in a variety of solvents. The absorption spectrum of its first singlet excited state has been determined in methanolic solution (λ_max=455nm , ϵ_max=6.2×10⁴ 1 mol^-1 cm^-1).     

On estimating probability of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer

Higher singlet states can play an important role in various intramolecular processes. Recent investigations of the time-resolved (with a picosecond resolution) spectra of the dual fluorescence of 3-hydroxyflavone molecules excited in the region of the S ₁ and S ₂ absorption bands by pulses with a duration of ∼44 ps have directly shown the occurrence of the proton transfer from the carboxyl to the carbonyl group of the molecule upon excitation into the second singlet absorption band. The reaction times estimated from the emission characteristics are comparable with the electronic level lifetime (several picoseconds), as a result of which the direct measurements are rather difficult. The proton transfer through the S ₂ state is also recorded in the steady-state fluorescence excitation spectra. In this study, it is shown how the reaction rate can be estimated from these data.     

Low Temperature Spectra of the ortho-POPOP Molecule: Additional Arguments of Its Flattening in the Excited State

Low temperature absorption and fluorescence spectra were measured for 1,2-bis-(5-phenyl-oxazolyl-2)-benzene (ortho-POPOP), a sterically hindered molecule, substantially non-planar in its ground state. Quantum-chemical calculations with the optimization of molecular geometry were made using the semiempirical AM1 method. The observed spectral changes, together with the obtained theoretical results, evidenced in favor of our previously made assumption about the considerable flattening of ortho-POPOP in the lowest singlet excited state. The data of spin-orbit coupling between singlet and triplet terms, which has been estimated in CNDO/S scheme, were used to calculate the efficiency of intersystem crossing in the studied molecule.     

Transient absorption spectroscopy of a monofullerene C<Subscript>60</Subscript>-bis-(pyropheophorbide <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>) molecular system in polar and nonpolar environments

The population dynamics of the excited and ground states of the monofullerene-bis (pyropheophorbide a) complex (FP1) were studied in polar (DMF) and nonpolar (toluene) solvents using picosecond transient absorption techniques. A strong quenching of the fluorescence signal of FP1 was observed in both solvents, in comparison to the fluorescence of bis (pyropheophorbide a) (P2). This quenching is due to an intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer from the pyropheophorbide a (pyroPheo) moiety to the fullerene C₆₀ monoadduct. In DMF the charge-separated (CS) state of FP1 has a lifetime of 0.32 ns and undergoes a direct transition to the ground state, resulting in a very low value of photosensitised singlet oxygen generation. In toluene, energy transfer from the first excited triplet state of pyroPheo, which has been populated via relaxation of the CS state, generates a considerable amount of singlet oxygen. The lifetime of the CS state in the nonpolar solvent was estimated to be 0.29 ns. It was also shown that in both DMF and toluene the first excited singlet state as well as the triplet state of the fullerene moiety in FP1 are not occupied. PACS 31.70.Dk; 31.70.Hq; 33.50.-j; 34.70.+e     

Ultrafast optical responses of three-level systems in β-carotene: Resonance to a high-lying n 1 A g − excited state

Ultrafast optical phenomena in all-trans-β-carotene have been investigated by femtosecond absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Following a resonant pump pulse, both fluorescence and absorbance changes have a decay time of 150 fs. The signals are assigned to the lowest optically allowed singlet excited state, 1¹ B _u ⁺ . Transmittance changes induced by nonresonant pump pulses depend on the pump photon energy. They are interpreted in terms of the ac Stark effect in three-level systems and two-photon absorption of the pump and probe pulses generating a high-lying n ¹ A _g ^? state.     

Intramolecular proton transfer from the highest singlet states in 3-hydroxyflavone

It is found that the excitation spectra of the dual fluorescence of 3-hydroxyflavone are different for different recording wavelengths and that the intensity ratio of the emission of the normal and tautomeric (with intramolecular proton transfer) forms upon selective UV excitation in the regions of the S ₁, S ₂, and S ₃ singlet absorption bands strongly depends on the excitation wavelength. The results obtained directly point to the existence of an additional channel of population of the excited state of the tautomeric form and are explained by the intramolecular proton transfer through the S ₂ and S ₃ excited singlet states of fluorophore molecules. The constants of this transfer are estimated using analytical relations for the steady-state fluorescence excitation.     

Optical and time-resolved EPR studies of the excited states of azastilbenes and their protonated cations

The effects of protonation on the excited states oftrans-3-styrylpyridine (StP) andtrans-4,4′-dipyridylethylene (DPE) have been studied through measurements of the time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), ultraviolet absorption, and fluorescence spectra in methanol-water mixtures at 77 K. The assignment of the transient EPR signals was carried out with the aid of the stretched poly(vinyl alcohol) films method. From the analysis of these spectra it is concluded that the single protonation appears to have little effect on the zero-field splitting parameters and the anisotropy in the sublevel populating rates of the lowest excited triplet (T₁) states of StP and DPE. However, the decay rate constants of the fluorescent states decrease and fluorescence quantum yields increase on single protonation. These experimental results suggest that the single protonation causes a decrease in the intersystem crossing (ISC) rates for the three T₁ sublevels. These results are explained in terms of the vibronic mixing between the¹nπ* and¹ππ* states in the lowest excited singlet state. The assignment of StP to the specified conformer was carried out through the analysis of the anisotropic ISC processes.