Rm. Anderton et Jf. Kauffman, ISODIELECTRIC KRAMERS-HUBBARD ANALYSIS OF DIPHENYLBUTADIENE PHOTOISOMERIZATION IN ALKYL NITRILES AND CHLORINATED SOLVENTS, Journal of physical chemistry, 99(40), 1995, pp. 14628-14631
The permittivity dependence of the trans to cis isomerization barrier
of diphenylbutadiene (DPB) observed previously in n-alcohols is shown
to extend to alkyl nitriles and chlorinated solvents. Kramers' express
ion predicts the observed DPB isomerization rate constants in these so
lvents when evaluated by using the barrier height given by the permitt
ivity dependence developed in n-alcohols. In contrast, the observed DP
B isomerization rate constants in mixtures of ethanol and hexane were
substantially lower than predicted, indicating either differences betw
een the bulk and local composition or differences in the way the mixed
solvent orders itself in the vicinity of the solute.