Relaxation of excited Franck–Condon states of molecular electron donor–acceptor complexes in liquid solution: the role of orientational isomers

The direct consequences of the presence of ground state orientational isomers of molecular complexes are discussed in terms of the adiabatic potential energy surfaces calculated for the ground and excited states of electron donor–acceptor complexes of tetracyanobenzene with toluene and with mesitylene. Some earlier experimental results that confirm the presence of orientational isomers are also recalled and reviewed, together with the recent results for molecular exciplexes under supersonic molecular beam conditions. Exploration of potential energy surfaces shows that the relaxation pathways of excited Franck–Condon states of the ground state isomers may differ considerably and in liquid solution may be sensitive to physical conditions, which in fact is observed in time-resolved fluorescence spectra of the electron donor–acceptor systems under consideration, upon excitation of high-energy Van der Waals orientational isomers. It is concluded that, in weak electron donor–acceptor complexes in liquid solutions, the role of such isomers may be limited, but it may become crucial for the kinetics and dynamics of excited states if the system is simultaneously capable of forming an exciplex.