Role of nearby charges on the electronic structure of π-conjugated molecules: symmetric versus asymmetric charge distributions in oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene).

Oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) are conjugated oligomers of great interest within materials science and molecular electronics on account of their highly applicable electronic and optical properties. Here we use gas-phase action spectroscopy to elucidate how the intrinsic electronic properties of these chromophores are affected by nearby charges. An OPE3 chromophore with two nearby ammonium groups was synthesized.

Emission from regioisomeric bis(phenylethynyl)benzenes during pulse radiolysis.

Emission from charge recombination between radical cations and anions of a series of regioisomeric 1,4-, 1,3-, and 1,2-bis(phenylethynyl)benzenes (bPEBs) substituted by various electron donor and/or acceptor groups was measured during pulse radiolysis in benzene (Bz). The formation of bPEB in the excited singlet state ((1)bPEB*) can be attributed to the charge recombination between bPEB(*+) and bPEB(*-), which are initially generated from the radiolytic reaction. This mechanism is reasonably explained by the relationship between the annihilation enthalpy change (-DeltaH(o)) for the charge recombination of bPEB(*+) and bPEB(*-) and excitation energy of (1)bPEB*.