EXTERNAL HEAVY ATOM EFFECTS ON THE S1 AND T1 ELECTRONIC STATES OF INDOLE

Abstract— The absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra along with the phosphorescence decay function of indole perturbed by various amounts of halocarbons have been studied in a 1:1 ethanol-ether glass at 77 K. For carbon tetrachloride. chloroform, halothane and methylene chloride used as quenchers. the biexponential nature of the phosphorescence decay prompted us to assume the existence of a triplet state complex (exciplex) between indole and the halocarbons. On the other hand. propyl bromide gives rise to a non-exponential decay and to an increase in the phosphorescence intensity suggesting the occurrence of a normal external spin-orbital coupling interaction between indole and the propyl bromide molecule.