EFFECT OF CHROMOPHORE DIFFUSION ON ELECTRONIC EXCITATION TRANSFER IN MICELLAR SYSTEMS

An analytical theory and Monte Carlo simulations are used to study ele ctronic excitation transport (EET) among chromophores diffusing on the surface of spherical micelles. The effect of molecular diffusion on t he experimental observables is analyzed for two limiting cases, donor- trap (DT) and donor-donor (DD) EET. Analytical expressions are given f or the time-dependent ensemble averaged survival probability of the ex cited donor [P(t)] in the DT case. Diffusion is found to have a pronou nced effect on the excitation transfer kinetics except when chromophor es have long Forster transfer distances R-0 and short fluorescence lif etimes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.