EXCITED-STATE BEHAVIOR OF 2-(4'-PYRIDYL)BENZIMIDAZOLE IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION - PROTON-TRANSFER PROCESSES AND DUAL FLUORESCENCE

The excited-state acid-base behavior of 2-(4'-pyridyl)benzimidazole in aqueous solution has been studied over a wide range of acidity by UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The species detected in the lowest electronically excited singlet state turned out to be identical to those of the ground state: the anion A, the neutral molecule N, th e monocation C protonated at the benzimidazole N3, the monocation T pr otonated at the pyridyl nitrogen, and the dication D. Nevertheless, th e strong increase in the basicity of the pyridyl nitrogen atom in the excited state induces different excited-state proton-transfer processe s. The dual fluorescence of 4PBI at neutral pH is explained by the pro tonation of N to give T*. On the basis of the steady-state data toget her with the fluorescence decay measurements at several acidities, a m echanism is proposed to explain the acid-base behavior of 4PBI in the first excited singlet state.