FEMTOSECOND ELECTRON-TRANSFER - EXPERIMENT AND THEORY

The electron transfer kinetics of 4-(9-anthryl)-N,N'-dimethylaniline ( ADMA) and 9,9'-bianthryl (BA) were measured. The dynamics of BA and AD MA are both well described with a semi-empirical model for electron tr ansfer. Within this model, the BA electron transfer dynamics can be de scribed as occurring adiabatically in S1. However, in ADMA, part of th e electron transfer occurs nonadiabatically from S2 to S1 and part of the electron transfer occurs adiabatically within S1. To describe the combined adiabatic and nonadiabatic dynamics in ADMA, we introduce a g eneralized survival probability related to the fractional charge remai ning on the donor.In addition, the dipolar solvation dynamics of an an ionic probe (conjugate base of coumarin 343) molecule were measured in methanol and found to be similar to previously reported solvation dyn amics of a neutral probe. Also, no evidence of ion pairing contributio ns to the solvation dynamics were observed.