Photoinduced electron transfer across linearly fused oligo-norbornyl structures

The rates of photoinduced electron transfer (ET) reactions across two oligo-norbornyl spacer groups (S), that is, structure 1 fused by two norbornadiene (NBD) units and structure 2 fused by three NBD units, are examined. Substituted naphthalene acted as an electron donor (D), whilst ethylene-1,2-dicarboxylate as an electron acceptor (A). ET rates were measured by fluorescence quenching experiments on these D-S-A dyads, and the results were correlated with reaction free energies according to the Marcus relationship. It was found that naphthalene with phenyl substituents showed relatively slower ET rates. The conformational flexibility of phenyl substituents may cause a hindrance on the electronic coupling between D and A. Another salient feature was the abnormally high quenching rates observed in nonpolar solvents such as cyclohexane, the results of which may be ascribed to a competing energy transfer process.