Photodimerization of anthracenes in fluid solution: structural aspects

Owing to their versatile photophysical and photochemical properties, anthra cene and its derivatives are being employed in many systems, for instance a s energy migration probes in polymers, triplet sensitizers, molecular fluor osensors, electron acceptor or donor chromophores in artificial photosynthe sis, photochromic substrates in 3D memory materials, etc. One remarkable fe ature is their ability to photodimerize under UV irradiation which induces considerable changes in their physical properties. This account reports the preparative and structural aspects of this very useful and protean photocy cloaddition.