PHOTOPHYSICAL PROCESSES IN TROPOLONE, α-METHOXY-TROPONE AND COLCHICINE

Abstract— The spectral characteristics of the emission observed from tropolone, α-methoxy-tropone and colchicine in EPA at 77 K are reported. Luminescence polarization, lifetime, quantum yield and energy transfer experiments provide evidence that the luminescence observed is S₁→ S₀ fluorescence and that the lowest excited singlet state is π, π* The two compounds α-methoxy-tropone and colchicine have been found to exhibit dual luminescence. No phosphorescence could be detected in these three molecules. The photophysical processes for each molecule are discussed and their respective energy level diagrams are also suggested.