Foram estudadas as absorções triplete-triplete (TT) e de transientes de tioxantonas substituídas e não substituídas em diferentes solventes, com a finalidade de avaliar o efeito do solvente, assim como dos substituintes no anel aromático. Os espectros determinados alguns microssegundos depois da excitação mostram absorções de três transientes principais: o estado triplete (600-650 nm), o radical cetila da tioxantona (~450 nm) e uma superposição de ambos (~300 nm). A quantidade de radicais formados em solventes não-hidroxílicos é muito menor do que em álcoois. O máximo da absorção TT mostra uma boa correlação com o parâmetro E T (30) dos solventes.The triplet-triplet (TT) and transient absorptions of non-substituted and substituted thioxanthones has been studied in different solvents in order to ascertain the effect of the solvent, as well as the substituents on the aromatic ring. Spectra taken after a couple of μs after the flash show three main transient absorptions due to the triplet state (600-650 nm), the thioxanthone ketyl radical (~450 nm) and an overlap of both (~300 nm). The amount of radicals formed in non hydroxylic solvents is much lower than in alcohols. The maxima of the TT absorption peaks show a good correlation with the E T (30) solvent parameter.
Keywords: thioxanthone, triplet-triplet absorption
IntroductionDue to their role in photochemical and photobiological reactions, the triplet states of aromatic ketones continue to receive attention from both experimental and theoretical points of view. [1][2][3][4][5][6] It is well known that the polarity of a solvent greatly influences the energies of the electronic states as well as the photophysical properties in aromatic carbonyl systems. [7][8][9][10] An increase in the solvent polarity results in the stabilization of ππ * states, as well as a blue shift of n → π * transitions, as evidenced by a shift of the absorption maxima. 11,12 Similar shifts have been observed in the triplet energy levels as a function of solvent polarity. 13 Among the aromatic carbonyl compounds, xanthones and thioxanthones (TX) were extensively studied from a solvent effect point of view.Thioxanthones are efficiently and extensively used as photoinitiators in dentistry resins [14][15][16] and other curing and photopolymerization systems. 17,18 Singlet and triplet excited states are involved in the photoinitiation. 19 This process can be strongly dependent on the polarity of the medium showing a distinct solvent effect on its properties and its triplet-triplet absorption spectra (TTA). 1,3 Actually, the polarity of mixtures used in industrial applications are not well defined but the academic comprehension of polarity effect on the excited states gives support to studies leading to the optimization of the photoinitiators' efficiency. 20,21 In this work we report on the changes in the transient absorption spectra due to different solvents, as well as substitutions on the aromatic ring of thioxanthones.
ExperimentalEthyl acetate (AcOEt, Mallinckrodt) used in this work was spec...