Studies of the energy spectrum of α, ω- substituted polymethine chains. II. Polymethine chains with odd number of methine groups

The analysis of the experimental data for the energy of the longest wavelength optical transitions _n,opt of substituted polymethines X(CH)_2n+1X shows that in the asymptotic case (n) _,opt does not tend to zero, as it follows from the empirically established correlations, but has a finite, non-zero value. It is shown that the energy gap of odd polymethines is the same as that of the even polymethines - the polyenes (E2 eV). The substituents (X N, O, B) are responsible for the appearance of levels in the gap. These, depending on the substituent character, are vacant (X B) or occupied (X N, O). The transition from or to such a level determines the longest wavelength optical transition energy of polymethines.