Fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes of fluorobenzene cations in selected levels of their B̃ and C̃ states determined by photoelectron-photon coincidence spectroscopy

Fluorescence quantum yields and cascade-free lifetimes of eleven fluorobenzene cations with selected energies within their B? and C? states have been determined. This was accomplished by measurement of coincidences between energy selected photoelectrons and undispersed emitted photons following ionisation with He(Iα) photons. The wavelength region of the photons emitted on formation of same of these cations in the C? states is the same as from their B? states. It is concluded that the C??B? radiationless step and fast vibrational redistribution precedes the B?→Ã, X? radiative relaxation. The radiative and non-radiative rate constants were derived directly from the measured values. The non-radiative decay rate, corresponding to the internal conversion process, is found to increase exponentially as a function of the internal excess energy within the B? and C? states and shows that there are no initial state memory effects. The nature of the accepting modes is discussed in view of the results on some of the deuterated species.     

Photoinduced dynamics of a cyanine dye: parallel pathways of non-radiative deactivation involving multiple excited-state twisted transients

Cyanine dyes are broadly used for fluorescence imaging and other photonic applications. 3,3′-Diethylthiacyanine (THIA) is a cyanine dye composed of two identical aromatic heterocyclic moieties linked with a single methine, –CH. The torsional degrees of freedom around the methine bonds provide routes for non-radiative decay, responsible for the inherently low fluorescence quantum yields. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we determined that upon photoexcitation, the excited state relaxes along two parallel pathways producing three excited-state transients that undergo internal conversion to the ground state. The media viscosity impedes the molecular modes of ring rotation and preferentially affects one of the pathways of non-radiative decay, exerting a dominant effect on the emission properties of THIA. Concurrently, the polarity affects the energy of the transients involved in the decay pathways and further modulates the kinetics of non-radiative deactivation.     

Nonradiative decay processes in benzene

We investigate the behavior of single vibronic level nonradiative decay rates in benzene and benzene-d₆. The effects of excitation in a promoting mode which undergoes frequency and geometry changes in the S₁ relaxation (to T₁ or S₀) are considered in detail. Calculated relative nonradiative decay rates are compared with experimental values and are used to assign triplet state vibrational frequencies to the ν_s, ν₁₀ and ν₁₆ vibrations. This comparison also indicates that none of these modes, nor the modes ν₁ and ν6, are likely to be the dominant promoting modes for the S₁ → T₁ decay. Some simple expressions are given which provide good estimates of the vibronic state dependence of the non-radiative decay rates. In conjuction with experimental decay rate data, these estimates can aid in guiding spectral assignments of vibronic bands. Simple but general theoretical criteria are derived which are useful in determining those vibrations which are poor (or good) accepting modes. Our previous theory is generalized to consider absolute nonradiative decay rates. The results are used to suggest a possible mechanism for the “channel three” decay process observed by Callomon . Although the numerical applications presented here are to benzene electronic relaxation processes, the theoretical developments also apply to and the calcultions illustrate general features of nonradiative decay in the statistical limit.     

Photophysics of Soret-excited tetrapyrroles in solution. I. Metalloporphyrins: MgTPP, ZnTPP, and CdTPP

The photophysical behavior of three Soret-excited diamagnetic meso-substituted tetraphenylmetalloporphyrins, MgTPP, ZnTPP, and CdTPP, have been examined in a wide variety of solvents using both steady-state and femtosecond fluorescence upconversion methods. The S 2 population of MgTPP decays to S 1 on the time scale of a few picoseconds with unit S 2-S 1 internal conversion efficiency, and the decay rates conform to the weak coupling case of radiationless transition theory. The energy gap law parameters characterizing the coupling of the S 2 and S 1 states of MgTPP have been obtained. The most important accepting vibrational modes in the S 1 state are multiple in-plane C-C and C-N stretches in the 1200-1500 cm (-1) range. Net S 2-S 1 decay is the dominant decay path for ZnTPP and CdTPP as well, but the process occurs at rates that exceed (in the case of CdTPP, they vastly exceed) those predicted by weak interstate coupling. Alternate mechanisms for the radiationless decay of the S 2 states of ZnTPP and CdTPP have been explored. Large spin-orbit coupling constants and the presence of multiple, near-equiergic triplet states suggest that S 2-T n intersystem crossing might occur at rates competitive with internal conversion. However, the measured efficiencies of S 2-S 1 internal conversion show that, at most, only a few percent of the S 2 population of ZnTPP and no more than about 30% of the S 2 population of CdTPP can decay by a "dark" path such as intersystem crossing.     

Population dynamics in vibrational modes during non-Born-Oppenheimer processes: CARS spectroscopy used as a mode-selective filter

The coupling of specific nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom of a molecular system during non-radiative electronic transitions plays a central role in photochemistry and photobiology. This breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation during processes such as internal conversion determines the mechanism and product distribution of photochemical reactions and is responsible for the high efficiency of photobiological processes. In order to explore this phenomena in beta-carotene, a molecule that plays a primary role as an auxiliary light-harvesting pigment in photosynthesis, a spectroscopic method was employed that allows for the individual vibrational modes to be monitored selectively within the dynamics of an internal conversion process. This spectroscopic technique employs an initial pump laser to excite the molecule into an excited electronic state and resolves the subsequent relaxation process by interrogating the system with a time-delayed, coherent anti-Stokes Raman process (CARS), which acts as a mode-selective filter for observing the population flow within specific vibrational modes with a time resolution in the femtosecond regime.     

Ab initio based surface-hopping dynamics study on ultrafast internal conversion in cyclopropanone

Cyclopropanone exhibits an intriguing phenomenon that the fluorescence from the S(1) state disappears below 365 nm. This is ascribed to the ultrafast S(1) → S(0) internal conversion process via conical intersection, which deprives opportunity of the fluorescence emission. In this work, we have used ab initio based surface hopping dynamics method to study vibrational-mode-dependent S(1) → S(0) internal conversion of cyclopropanone. A new conical intersection between the S(1) and S(0) states is determined by the state-averaged CASSCF/cc-pVDZ calculations, which is confirmed to play a critical role in the ultrafast S(1) → S(0) internal conversion by the nonadiabatic dynamics simulations. It is found that the internal conversion occurs more efficiently when the initial kinetic energies are distributed in the four vibrational modes related to the C═O group, especially in the C-O stretching and the O-C-C-C out-of-plane torsional modes. Meanwhile, the S(1) lifetime and the time scale of the S(1) → S(0) internal conversion are estimated by the ab initio based dynamics simulations, which is consistent with the ultrafast S(1) → S(0) internal conversion and provides further evidence that the ultrafast internal conversion is responsible for the fluorescence disappearance of cyclopropanone.     

Nonradiative relaxation in thiophene-S,S-dioxide derivatives: the role of the environment

The intramolecular radiative and nonradiative relaxation processes of three thiophene-S,S-dioxide derivatives with different molecular rigidity are investigated in different solutions and in inert matrix. We show that the fluorescence quantum efficiency and the relaxation dynamics are strongly dependent on the environment viscosity, whereas they are almost independent of the environment polarity. We demonstrate that this strong dependence is due to an environment dependent nonradiative decay rate, whereas no relevant variations of the radiative decay rate are observed. We demonstrate that the dipole coupling with the solvent does not provide an efficient nonradiative decay channel and that the S(n) - S(1) vibrational relaxation is very efficient in all of the molecules and for all of the investigated environments. Moreover first-principles time-dependent density-functional theory calculations in the correct, i.e., excited-state, molecular conformation, suggest that significant contributions of intersystem crossing to the triplet manifold can be excluded. We then conclude that the main nonradiative process determining the fluorescence quantum efficiency of this class of molecules is S(1) - S(0) internal conversion (IC). An explanation for the IC rate dependence in terms of the environment viscosity, molecular rigidity, S(1) - S(0) energy-gap, and molecular volume is presented.     

Comparison of the photophysical properties of osmium(II) bis(2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine) and the corresponding ethynylated derivative

The photophysical properties of osmium(II) bis(2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine) have been recorded over a wide temperature range. An emission band is observed and attributed to radiative decay of the lowest-energy metal-to-ligand, charge-transfer (MLCT) triplet state. This triplet is coupled to two other triplet states that lie at higher energy. The second triplet, believed to be of MLCT character, is reached by crossing a barrier of only 640 cm(-1), but the highest-energy triplet, considered to be of metal-centered (MC) character, is separated from the lowest-energy MLCT triplet by a barrier of 3500 cm(-1). Analysis of the emission spectrum shows that both low- and high-frequency modes are involved in the decay process, while weak emission is seen from the second excited triplet state. The magnitude of the low- and high-frequency modes depends on temperature in fluid solution but not in a KBr disk. Apart from a substantial lowering of the triplet energy, the photophysical properties are relatively insensitive to the presence of an ethynylene substituent at the 4' position of each terpyridine ligand. However, the barrier to reaching the MC triplet is markedly reduced, and the vibrational modes become less sensitive to changes in temperature.     

Dual fluorescence lifetimes of pyrimidine: Intermediate radiationless decay

We have observed a dual fluorescence decay from the lowest n → π* excited singlet state of pyrimidine. The vibronic states 0-0, 6a¹, 12¹, 6a¹12¹, 12² and 6a¹12² have two exponential decays with lifetimes ranging from 2.7-0.7 nsec and from 410-234 ns at 0.02 torr. The ratio of pre-exponentials is pressure independent but the long decay is very sensitive to collisions. The four lower energy states have effective impact diameters of 16 A and the highest energy state is quenched by gas kinetic collision diameters (≈ 5.5 Å). The dual fluorescence decay and collisional fluorescence quenching by rotational relaxation is consistent with the available models of singlet-triplet mixed state decay. Using these models we have computed the rates for singlet-triplet crossing, the number of coupled triplet levels, and the decay rates for internal conversion. The model used our measured fluorescence decay parameters and our estimate of a triplet loss rate. The estimated triplet loss varies from 0.2 to 2.0 × 10⁶ s^?1 and the singlet internal conversion rate varies from ≈ 0.4 to 56 × 10⁷ s^?1. The singlet-triplet radiationless rate suggests that 50–100 times more triplet levels are effective in the state mixing than can be expected from the triplet vibronic density. Such an enhanced coupling of ro-vibronic triplet levels is 5–10 times larger than previously observed for the dicarbonyls. The observation of reduced collisional quenching of higher energy vibronic levels is quantitatively interpreted by a different model than used previously for the dicarbonyls.     

Dual excited state deactivation pathways in TPZ2: A centrosymmetric dye with both high fluorescence and triplet state quantum yield

Dual excited state deactivation pathways in TPZ2 leading to 50% fluorescence quantum yield and 50% triplet state generation yield, suggest TPZ2 is a molecule has potential application in fluorescence imaging and photodynamic therapy in the same time.     

Photophysical properties of 2,5-diphenyl-1,6,6a-trithiapentalene revealed by time-resolved spectroscopy

The fluorescence decay from S2(pi, pi*) state of 2,5-diphenyl-1,6,6a-trithiapentalene (DP-TTP) in cyclohexane, tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile solutions of a quantum yield of approximately 0.02-0.04 were measured. The results indicate that, the dominant process of radiationless deactivation of the S2 state, is internal conversion to the S1 state. Upon laser pulse excitation (lambda(ex) = 532 nm) from the S1(pi, pi*) state, DP-TTP in deoxygenated benzonitrile, acetonitrile, ethanol and tetrahydrofuran solutions give rise to transient triplet triplet absorption (lambdaTmax = 700-720 nm). Kinetic data are presented for intrinsic triplet lifetimes, self-quenching and quenching by oxygen.     

Non-radiative decay rate of vibrationally excited triplet molecules

The non-radiative decay rates of triplet benzene and 2-chloronaphthalene were determined as a function of excitation energy. As the excitation energies were increased, the non-radiative decay rates increased gradually. In the case of 2-chloronaphthalene it increased rapidly for the excitation energies above about 38000 cm^-1.     

Vibrational Relaxation in beta-Carotene Probed by Picosecond Stokes and Anti-Stokes Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

Picosecond time-resolved Stokes and anti-Stokes resonance Raman spectra of all-trans-beta-carotene are obtained and analyzed to reveal the dynamics of excited-state (S(1)) population and decay, as well as ground-state vibrational relaxation. Time-resolved Stokes spectra show that the ground state recovers with a 12.6 ps time constant, in agreement with the observed decay of the unique S(1) Stokes bands. The anti-Stokes spectra exhibit no peaks attributable to the S(1) (2A(g) (-)) state, indicating that vibrational relaxation in S(1) must be nearly complete within 2 ps. After photoexcitation there is a large increase in anti-Stokes scattering from ground-state modes that are vibrationally excited through internal conversion. The anti-Stokes data are fit to a kinetic scheme in which the C=C mode relaxes in 0.7 ps, the C-C mode relaxes in 5.4 ps and the C-CH(3) mode relaxes in 12.1 ps. These results are consistent with a model for S(1)-S(0) internal conversion in which the C=C mode is the primary acceptor, the C-C mode is a minor acceptor, and the C-CH(3) mode is excited via intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution.     

Spectral and photophysical studies of substituted indigo derivatives in their keto forms.

The spectral and photophysical properties of indigo derivatives with di-, tetra-, and hexa-substitution in their neutral (keto) form are investigated in solution. The study comprises absorption and emission spectra, together with quantitative measurements of quantum yields of fluorescence (phi(F)) and singlet oxygen formation (phi(Delta)) and fluorescence lifetimes. The energy difference between the HOMO and LUMO orbitals is dependent on the degree (number of groups) and relative position of substitution. The phi(F) and phi(Delta) values were found to be very low S(0) internal conversion yields and thus, with the other data, to determine the rate constants for all decay processes. From these, several conclusions are drawn. Firstly, the radiationless rate constants, k(NR) , clearly dominate over the radiative rate constants, k(F) , (and processes). Secondly, the main deactivation channel for the compounds in their keto form is the radiationless S(1) approximately approximately -->S(0) internal conversion process. Finally, although the changes are relatively small, internal conversion yield seems to be independent of the overall pattern of substitution. A more detailed investigation of the decay profiles with collection at the blue and red emission of the fluorescence band of indigo and one di-substituted indigo reveals the decays to be bi-exponential and that at longer emission wavelengths these appear to be associated with both rise and decay times indicating that two excited species exist, which is consistent with a keto-excited form giving rise (by fast proton transfer) to the enol-form of indigo. Evidence is presented which supports the idea that intramolecular (and possibly some intermolecular) proton transfer can explain the high efficiency of internal conversion in indigo.     

Photophysics of the galvinoxyl free radical revisited

The photophysical properties of the free neutral radical galvinoxyl were studied by a combination of femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The electronic absorption spectrum is dominated by an intense band at 430 nm that is ascribed to the D(9,10)← D(0) transitions. Upon photoexcitation at 400 nm, the population of the D(9,10) states decays within less than 200 fs to the electronic ground state. This ultrafast internal conversion does not involve intramolecular modes with large amplitude motion as the measured dynamics does not show any significant dependence on the environment, but is most probably facilitated by a high density of electronic states of different character. Depending on the solvent, a weak transient band due to the galvinoxylate anion is also observed. This closed-shell species, which is fluorescent although its deactivation is also dominated by non-radiative decay, is generated upon biphotonic ionization of the solvent and electron capture. The ultrashort excited-state lifetime of the galvinoxyl radical precludes photoinduced disproportionation previously claimed to be at the origin of the formation of both anion and cation.     

Ultrafast Decay of the Excited Singlet States of Thioxanthone by Internal Conversion and Intersystem Crossing

The experimental ultrafast photophysics of thioxanthone in several aprotic organic solvents at room temperature is presented, measured using femtosecond transient absorption together with high‐level ab initio CASPT2 calculations of the singlet‐ and triplet‐state manifolds in the gas phase, including computed state minima and conical intersections, transition energies, oscillator strengths, and spin–orbit coupling terms. The initially populated singlet ππ* state is shown to decay through internal conversion and intersystem crossing processes via intermediate nπ* singlet and triplet states, respectively. Two easily accessible conical intersections explain the favorable internal conversion rates and low fluorescence quantum yields in nonpolar media. The presence of a singlet–triplet crossing near the singlet ππ* minimum and the large spin–orbit coupling terms also rationalize the high intersystem crossing rates. A phenomenological kinetic scheme is proposed that accounts for the decrease in internal conversion and intersystem crossing (i.e. the very large experimental crescendo of the fluorescence quantum yield) with the increase of solvent polarity.     

Fluorescence excitation and excited state intramolecular proton transfer of jet-cooled naphthol derivatives: Part 1. 1-Hydroxy-2-naphthaldehyde

The S(0) → S(1) fluorescence excitation spectrum of jet-cooled 1H2N with origin at 25484 cm(-1) has been measured. Twelve totally symmetric modes and five non-totally symmetric modes have been assigned in the excitation spectrum. Theoretical calculations at DFT B3LYP/6-31G** and CIS/6-31G** levels indicate that the 1H2N molecular geometry is more planar in the S(1) state than in the ground state. The geometry of the naphthalene ring changes upon excitation and promotes a number of totally symmetric ring stretching modes, in the excitation spectrum. As a result of the geometry change upon excitation a number of non-totally symmetric modes gain intensity. Based on a rotational envelope fitting procedure the average excited rotational state lifetime was estimated to be between 7 and 16 ps for 0 ≤E≤ hc × 800 cm(-1) (E is excess energy above the S(1) origin). The decay rate coefficients, k, of the rotational S(1) states, are not constant over this range of excess energies. By applying a Golden Rule model, it was determined that internal conversion to S(0) is unlikely to be the sole non-radiative process contributing to the decay of the excited states. It was concluded that excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) plays a role in the observed behaviour of the rate co-efficient with excess energy. The observation of (i) a sharp increase in rate coefficient, k, above an excess energy of ～550 cm(-1), and (ii) a significant number of high intensity fluorescence excitation spectrum features above an excess energy of ～700 cm(-1), may indicate the presence of an energy barrier of ～550 cm(-1), between the enol and keto geometries in the S(1) state. This result supports the conclusions of S. De, S. Ash, S. Dalai and A. Misra, J. Mol. Struc. Theochem, 2007, 807, 33-41, who estimated a barrier to ESIPT of ～750 cm(-1). It was concluded that ESIPT occurs in 1H2N, across an energy barrier with a rate constant, k(pt)≤ 10(11) s(-1). Hence, at low excess energies (≤ 550 cm(-1)), the observed emission band originates predominantly from the keto tautomer. Above an excess energy of ～1600 cm(-1), 1H2N decays predominantly via a non-radiative mechanism.     

The triplet state decay (T1(nπ*) → S0) of benzaldehydes in the dilute gas phase

The triplet T₁(nπ^*) decay of benzaldehyde (B) and its isotopomers

and

were investigated in the dilute vapour phase (≤0.5 Torr) at room temperature. Following

excitation the quantum yields of the phosphorescence and photodecomposition, and the rate constants of the phosphorescence and the radiationless T₁ → S_o process were determined. Based on these results and in conjunction with theoretical calculations of T₁ → S_o rates and previous data obtained on propynal, the decay mechanism of benzaldehyde was analyzed. It is shown that the important accepting modes of the non-radiative T₁ → S_a decay are the

wagging and the CO stretching modes. In spite of the close vicinity of the T₂(ππ^*) and the T₁(nπ^*) states, the non-adiabatic coupling (communication between ring and carbonyl vibrations is not sufficient to influence the relaxed T₁(nπ^*) decay significantly.     

Early time hydrogen-bonding dynamics of photoexcited coumarin 102 in hydrogen-donating solvents: theoretical study

To study the early time hydrogen-bonding dynamics of chromophore in hydrogen-donating solvents upon photoexcitation, the infrared spectra of the hydrogen-bonded solute-solvent complexes in electronically excited states have been calculated using the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method. The hydrogen-bonding dynamics in electronically excited states can be widely monitored by the spectral shifts of some characteristic vibrational modes involved in the formation of hydrogen bonds. In this study, we have demonstrated that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between coumarin 102 (C102) and hydrogen-donating solvents are strengthened in the early time of photoexcitation to the electronically excited state by theoretically monitoring the stretching modes of C=O and H-O groups. This is significantly contrasted with the ultrafast hydrogen bond cleavage taking place within a 200-fs time scale upon electronic excitation, proposed in many femtosecond time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy experiments. The transient hydrogen bond strengthening behaviors in excited states of chromophores in hydrogen-donating solvents, which we have demonstrated here for the first time, may take place widely in many other systems in solution and are very important to explain the fluorescence-quenching phenomena associated with some radiationless deactivation processes, for example, the ultrafast solute-solvent intermolecular electron transfer and the internal conversion process from the fluorescent state to the ground state.