Non-condon effects on radiationless triplet decay in benzene and naphthalene

Model calculations that avoid the Condon approximation are reported for T₁$\text{}\text{?}$ar S₀ intersystem crossing in normal and perdeuterated benzene and naphthalene. In both benzenes and in naphthalene-d₈, skeletal bending vibrations coupling T₁ to T₂ are found to be more efficient as accepting modes than CH-stretching vibrations.