A number of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4,6-diaryl-1,3,5-triazines (HPTs) and TIN P (2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)benzotriazole) show phosphorescence in polar solvents at 77 K which increases in intensity with UV-irradiation
time until an equilibrium value is reached (phosphorescence evolution). TIN P phosphoresces even at the
very beginning of irradiation, in contrast to the HPTs, such as M-OH-P (2-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-4,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-triazine), which exhibit no such initial phosphorescence provided that they were not recently
exposed to UV radiation. The corresponding methoxy derivatives (MPTs) of some HPTs, where the H atom
of the intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) is replaced by a methyl group, produce intense phosphorescence
independent of irradiation time. Considerable relaxation is found for HPTs after dark periods ≤ 1 h at 77 K
resulting in a significantly lower initial phosphorescence intensity upon renewed irradiation. TIN P, in contrast,
shows much slower relaxation which becomes significant only at elevated temperatures. Phosphorescence
evolution is due to open conformers of the molecules, i.e., with intermolecular rather than intramolecular
hydrogen bonds, which are formed in polar solvents under the influence of UV radiation. Relaxation, i.e.,
re-formation of the IMHB of open-form molecules, is faster for the investigated HPTs than for TIN P.