Stationary and time-resolved spectra of 2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene

By analyzing the stationary absorption spectrum of 2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene in dichloromethane at room temperature, the zero–zero S₁←S₀ transition energy is determined. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements show that the S₁→S₀ radiative relaxation in various solvents decays exponentially with a common time constant of 170±10 ps. The fluorescence anisotropy of 2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene in dichloromethane is also studied and the transient dichroism is interpreted in terms of the revolution of a hydrodynamic prolate ellipsoid with the emission dipole aligned parallel to the long molecular axis.