Oxygen quenching of excited singlet and triplet states of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

The quenching rate constants of excited singlet (k(S)(O2)) and triplet (k(T)(O2)) states by oxygen were investigated in the vapor phase for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons having distinguishing oxidation potentials E(ox). The significant spread in the rate constants was found (4x10(5)s(-1)Torr(-1)