Decoupling diffusion from the bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer reaction: a combined ultrafast spectroscopic and kinetic analysis

Abstract

We have studied the bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reaction between benzophenone (Bp) and DABCO using femtosecond broadband transient absorption spectroscopy in different compositions of acetonitrile/1-butanol binary solvent mixtures. With the increase in the 1-butanol percentage in the mixture, we have observed an increase in the onset delay time of Bp˙⁻, which is the product of the reaction. As 1-butanol is more viscous than acetonitrile, we related the onset time to the change in medium viscosity. Moreover, we undertook a complete kinetic analysis of the bimolecular PET reaction under different conditions to show that from transient absorption spectroscopy, we can get the exact rate of electron transfer. This kind of kinetic analysis along with the experimental data is the first of its kind to prove that transient absorption spectroscopy is probably the most useful tool in studying the PET reaction.