No abstract

The quantum yield of triplet formation (φT) for two nonfluorescent molecules of 9-acetylanthracene and 9-benzoylanthracene was determined with a time-resolved thermal lensing method (TRTL). The value of φT for 9-benzoylanthracene was 0.19 in cyclohexane, indicating that a fast internal conversion process with a rate constant of 4.0 × 1010 s−1 exists in the deactivation from the first excited singlet state (S1).

The quantum yield of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2) ((1)Delta(g))) production (Phi(Delta)) in the oxygen quenching of photoexcited states for 1,2-dicyanonaphthalene (1,2-DCNN), 1,4-dicyanonaphthalene (1,4-DCNN) and 2,3-dicyanonaphthalene (2,3-DCNN) in cyclohexane, benzene, and acetonitrile was measured using a time-resolved thermal lens (TRTL) technique, in order to determine the efficiency of singlet oxygen ((1)Delta(g)) production in the first excited singlet state (S(1)), (f(Delta)(S)). The efficiencies of singlet oxygen ((1)Delta(g)) production from the lowest triplet state (T(1)), (f(Delta)(T)), were nearly unity for all DCNNs in all the solvents. The values of f(Delta)(S) were fairly large for 1,2-DCNN (0.33-0.57) and 1,4-DCNN (0.33-0.66), but were close to zero for 2,3-DCNN. Rate constants for oxygen quenching in the S(1) state (k(q)(S)) obtained for these compounds were significantly smaller than diffusion-controlled rate constants. The kinetics for processes leading to production and no production of singlet oxygen is discussed on the basis of the values of f(Delta)(S) and k(q)(S). The results obtained regarding phenanthrene (PH), 9-cyanophenanthrene (9-CNPH), pyrene (PY) and 1-cyanopyrene (1-CNPY) are also discussed.