NONRADIATIVE DECAY PROCESSES OF THE INTRAMOLECULAR CHARGE-TRANSFER STATE IN A RIGID BICHROMOPHORIC SYSTEM

For the rod-shaped bichromophoric compound 1-phenyl-4-(1-naphthylmethy lene)piperidine a systematic study of the nonradiative decay processes of the charge transfer state has been carried out by means of single photon timing, phosphorescence and transient absorption measurements a nd laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy. These results can tentativ ely be explained by a significant admixture of the less polar locally excited state configurations in the wave function of the emissive char ge transfer state, especially in the low polarity region. Due to this configuration interaction, an efficient radiationless decay channel vi a twisting of the ethylene bond in the locally excited state of the vi nylnaphthalene chromophore becomes accessible for the charge transfer state.