Ultrafast Excited State Dynamics of the Perylene Radical Cation Generated upon Bimolecular Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reaction

Direct Investigation of Excited C60 Dianion and Its Intramolecular Electron Transfer Behaviors

For the first time, the dynamics of excited fullerene dianions and associated intramolecular electron transfer (ET) were directly investigated by using femtosecond pump-probe laser flash photolysis on selectively reduced C60, pyrrolidino[60]fullerene (C60H), and dyads including C60-naphthalenediimide (NDI) and C60-pyromellitimide (PI). Upon near-infrared laser excitation, the excited dianion of C60 or C60H displayed two states with lifetimes of less than one and several tens of ps, attributed to prompt internal conversion from the theoretically predicted Sn state. Furthermore, the ET processes from the excited C602- in dyad molecules, including C602--NDI•- and C602--PI•-, were confirmed with varied ET rate constants due to the difference in the driving force for ET. The current findings provide a clear description of the hitherto uncharted excited-state and photoinduced ET characteristics of fullerene dianions, paving the way for photochemical studies of excited multi-ions (excited multi-polarons) and their application in organic semiconducting materials.

Unravelling Dynamics Involving Multiple Charge Carriers in Semiconductor Nanocrystals

The use of colloidal nanocrystals as part of artificial photosynthetic systems has recently gained significant attention, owing to their strong light absorption and highly reproducible, tunable electronic and optical properties. The complete photocatalytic conversion of water to its components is yet to be achieved in a practically suitable and commercially viable manner. To complete this challenging task, we are required to fully understand the mechanistic aspects of the underlying light-driven processes involving not just single charge carriers but also multiple charge carriers in detail. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding charge carrier dynamics in semiconductor nanocrystals and the influence of various parameters such as dimension, composition, and cocatalysts. Transient absorption spectroscopic studies involving single and multiple charge carriers, and the challenges associated with the need for accumulation of multiple charge carriers to drive the targeted chemical reactions, are discussed.

Femtosecond Dynamics of Stepwise Two-Photon Ionization in Solutions as Revealed by Pump-Repump-Probe Detection with Burst Mode of Photoexcitation

Pump-repump-probe spectroscopy with a burst mode of photoexcitation was applied to the direct observation of photoionization dynamics of perylene in the solution phase. The irradiation of the pump pulse train...

The excited-state dynamics of the radical anions of cyanoanthracenes

The radical anion of 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA) has been suggested to be a promising chromophore for photoredox chemistry, due to its nanosecond excited-state lifetime determined from indirect measurements. Here, we investigate the excited-state dynamics of the radical anion of three cyanoanthracenes, including DCA˙-, produced by photoinduced electron transfer in liquid using both pump-probe and pump-pump probe transient electronic absorption spectroscopy. All three excited radical ions are characterised by a 3-5 ps lifetime, due to efficient non-radiative deactivation to the ground state. The decay pathway most probably involves D1/D0 conical intersection(s), whose presence is favoured by the enhanced flexibility of the radical anions relative to their neutral counterparts. The origin of the discrepancy with the nanosecond lifetime of DCA˙-* reported previously is discussed. These very short lifetimes limit, but do not preclude, photochemical applications of the cyanoanthracene anions.

Excited-state Dynamics of Radical Ions in Liquids

Thomas Bally has acquired international recognition for his work on the photochemistry of reactive intermediates, which include radical ions. Here, we present a brief overview of our investigations of the excited-state dynamics of radical ions in liquids at room temperature, which are still poorly documented. A better understanding of these dynamics is most relevant, as open-shell ions in the excited state are being increasingly used in redox photochemistry and have been proposed to play a key role in highly exergonic photoinduced electron transfer reactions.

Ion-Pair Dynamics upon Photoinduced Electron Transfer Monitored by Pump-Pump-Probe Spectroscopy

The excited-state dynamics of the radical anion of perylene (Pe) generated upon bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET) with a donor was investigated using broadband pump-pump-probe spectroscopy. It was found to depend on the age of the anion, that is, on the time interval between the first pump pulse that triggers PET and the second one that excites the ensuing Pe anion (Pe^•-). These differences, observed in acetonitrile but not in tetrahydrofuran, report on the evolution of the PET product from an ion pair to free ions. Two photoinduced charge recombination pathways of the ion pair to the neutral Pe*(S₁) + donor state were identified: one occurring in a few picoseconds from Pe^•-*(D₁) and one taking place within 100-200 fs from Pe^•-*(D _n>1). Both processes are sensitive to the interionic distance over different length scales and thus serve as molecular rulers.

Salt Effect in Ion-Pair Dynamics after Bimolecular Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid

Bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer between perylene and two quenchers was investigated in an imidazolium room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) and in a dipolar solvent mixture of the same viscosity using transient absorption on the subpicosecond to submicrosecond time scales. Whereas charge separation dynamics were similar in both solvents, significant differences were observed in the temporal evolution of the ensuing radical ions: although small, the free-ion yield is significantly larger in the RTIL, and recombination of the ion pair to the triplet state of perylene is more efficient in the dipolar solvent. The temporal evolution of reactant, ion, and triplet state populations could be well reproduced using unified encounter theory. This analysis reveals that the observed differences can be explained by the strong screening of the Coulomb potential in the ion pair by the ionic solvent. In essence, RTILs favor free ions compared to highly dipolar solvents of the same viscosity.

Ultrafast primary processes of the stable neutral organic radical, 1,3,5-triphenylverdazyl, in liquid solution

Femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy reveals ultrafast photochemical processes of a stable neutral organic radical in solution.

Dual electron transfer pathways from the excited C60 radical anion: enhanced reactivities due to the photoexcitation of reaction intermediates

The excited C₆₀ radical anion showed enhanced electron transfer.

Bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions in liquids under the gaze of ultrafast spectroscopy

Because of their key role in many areas of science and technology, bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions have been intensively studied over the past five decades. Despite this, several important questions, such as the absence of the Marcus inverted region or the structure of the primary reaction product, have only recently been solved while others still remain unanswered. Ultrafast spectroscopy has proven to be extremely powerful to monitor the entire electron transfer process and to access, with the help of state-of-the-art theoretical models of diffusion-assisted reactions, crucial information like e.g. the intrinsic charge separation dynamics beyond the diffusion limit. Additionally, extension of these experimental techniques to other spectral regions than the UV-visible, such as the infrared, has given a totally new insight into the nature, the structure and the dynamics of the key reaction intermediates, like exciplexes and ions pairs. In this perspective, we highlight these recent progresses and discuss several aspects that still need to be addressed before a thorough understanding of these processes can be attained.

Excited-state dynamics of nitroperylene in solution: solvent and excitation wavelength dependence

The photophysics and excited-state dynamics of nitroperylene (NPe) in solvents of various polarities and viscosities, including a room-temperature ionic liquid, have been investigated by femtosecond-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The excited-state absorption spectrum was found to depend substantially on solvent polarity. In the most polar solvents, it is very similar to that of the NPe radical cation generated upon bimolecular quenching by an electron acceptor, denoting a substantial charge-transfer character of the S1 state. Contrary to smaller nitroaromatic compounds, NPe in the S1 state does not undergo ultrafast intersystem crossing (ISC) but decays mainly by internal conversion (IC). In nonprotic solvents, IC involves low-frequency modes with large amplitude motion associated with the nitro group and depends on both the solvent viscosity and polarity. It takes place on a 100 ps time scale in acetonitrile, while in cyclohexane, it is slow enough for ISC to become competitive. Moreover, both the fluorescence quantum yield and the excited-state dynamics were found to differ, depending on which side of the S0-S1 absorption band excitation was performed. This dependence is explained by the inhomogeneous nature of the absorption spectrum arising from a distribution of twist angles of the nitro group relative to the aromatic plane. On the other hand, such excitation wavelength effects were not observed in protic solvents, where the excited-state lifetime was found to be substantially shorter than that in nonprotic solvents. This behavior is rationalized in terms of a H-bonding interaction, which limits the torsional disorder of NPe and favors ultrafast nonradiative deactivation of the excited state. Transient absorption measurements performed for comparative purpose with nitropyrene in acetonitrile confirm the occurrence of ultrafast ISC in smaller nitroaromatic compounds.

Bimolecular hole transfer from the trimethoxybenzene radical cation in the excited state

Bimolecular hole transfer quenching of the 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene radical cation (TMB*+) in the excited state (TMB*+*) by hole quenchers (Q) such as biphenyl (Bp), naphthalene (Np), anisole (An), and benzene (Bz) with higher oxidation potentials than that of TMB was directly observed during the two-color two-laser flash photolysis at room temperature. From the linear relationships between the inverse of the transient absorption changes of TMB*+ during the second 532-nm laser excitation versus the inverse of the concentration of Q, the rate constant of the hole transfer from TMB*+* to Q was estimated to be (8.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(10), (1.4 +/- 0.7) x 10(11), (1.3 +/- 0.6) x 10(11), and (6.4 +/- 0.3) x 10(10) M(-1)s(-1) for Bp, An, Np, and Bz, respectively, in acetonitrile based on the lifetime of TMB*+*. The estimated rate constants are larger than the diffusion-controlled rate constant in acetonitrile. Short lifetime, high energy, and high oxidation potential of TMB*+* cause the lifetime-dependent quenching process or static quenching process as the major process during the quenching of TMB*+* by Q as indicated by the Ware's theoretical model. The subsequent hole transfer from Q*+ to TMB, giving TMB*+, was found to occur at the diffusion-controlled rate for Bp and An as Q. For Q such as Np and Bz, the dimerization of Q*+ with Q to give dimer radical cation (Q2*+) occurred competitively with the hole transfer from Q*+ to TMB.

Photoinduced bimolecular electron transfer investigated by femtosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy

Ultrafast infrared transient absorption spectroscopy is used to study the photoinduced bimolecular electron transfer reaction between perylene in the first singlet excited state and 1,4-dicyanobenzene in acetonitrile and dichloromethane. Following vibrational marker modes on both donor and acceptor sides in real time provides direct insight into the structural dynamics during the reaction. A band narrowing on a time scale of a few tens of picoseconds observed on the antisymmetric CN stretching vibration of the dicyanobenzene radical anion indicates that a substantial part of the excess energy is channeled into vibrational modes of the product, despite the fact that the reaction is weakly exergonic. An additional narrowing of the same band on a time scale of several hundreds of picoseconds observed in acetonitrile only is interpreted as a signature of the dissociation of the geminate ion pairs into free ions.

One-electron oxidation of alcohols by the 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene radical cation in the excited state during two-color two-laser flash photolysis

One-electron oxidation of alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol by 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene radical cation (TMB*+) in the excited state (TMB*+*) was observed during the two-color two-laser flash photolysis. TMB*+ was formed by the photoinduced bimolecular electron-transfer reaction from TMB to 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorobenzoquinone (TCQ) in the triplet excited-state during the first 355-nm laser flash photolysis. Then, TMB*+* was generated from the selective excitation of TMB*+ during the second 532 nm laser flash photolysis. Hole transfer rate constants from TMB*+* to methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol were calculated to be (5.2 +/- 0.5) x 10(10), (1.4 +/- 0.3) x 10(11), and (3.2 +/- 0.6) x 10(11) M-1 s-1, respectively. The order of the hole transfer rate constants is consistent with oxidation potentials of alcohol. Formation of TCQH radical (TCQH*) with a characteristic absorption peak at 435 nm was observed in the microsecond time scale, suggesting that deprotonation of the alcohol radical cation occurs after the hole transfer and that TCQ radical anion (TCQ*-), generated together with TMB*+ by the photoinduced electron-transfer reaction, reacts with H+ to give TCQH*.