Spectral-Luminescent Properties and Photolysis of Some Phenol Derivatives

Abstract

The spectral-luminescent properties and photolysis of phenol and some of its derivatives have been considered experimentally and by methods of quantum chemistry. It has been shown that the substitution with a methyl group (p-cresol) and the introduction of the second benzene ring (bisphenol A) lead to a shift of absorption bands toward longer wavelengths and some changes in their intensity. The non-planar structure of p-cresol and bisphenol A promotes an increase in the efficiency of singlet-triplet conversion and a decrease in the fluorescence quantum yield. Results of calculations have established the mechanisms of photolysis of the considered molecular systems. It has been shown that the O-H bond in phenol and p-cresol is broken by the pre-dissociation mechanism. Photolysis of bisphenol A upon exposure to solar radiation proceeds by the mechanism of direct dissociation, but with a noticeable potential barrier (~12000 cm -1 ).