Synthesis and excited state dynamics of mu-oxo group IV metal phthalocyanine dimers: A laser photoexcitation study

The synthesis of two metal phthalocyanine monomers, GePc[OSi(n-C6H13)(3)](2 ) and SnPc[OSi(n-C6H13)(3)](2), and two mu -oxo-bridged dimers, (n-C6H13)(3 )SiOSiPcOGePcOSi(n-C6H13)(3) and (n-C6H13)(3)SiOSiPcOSnPcOH, are described. The ground-state absorption spectra and excited-state dynamics of these co mpounds together with those of (n-C6H13)(3)SiOSiPcOSiPcOSi(n-C6H13)(3) have been measured. The absorption spectra of the dimers are blue shifted with respect to the monomers and whereas the latter exhibit a strong fluorescenc e in the visible, the dimers show only a weak emission in the near-IR. Thes e-observations are characteristic for the presence of exciton interactions in all three dimers, as had been reported earlier for the Si-O-Si dimer. Su bnanosecond laser flash photolysis experiments on all five compounds yielde d triplet-triplet absorption spectra, triplet lifetimes, triplet quantum yi elds, and bimolecular rate constants for quenching of the triplet states by O-2. The triplet quantum yields and lifetime for the monomers and the dime rs were fairly similar. The oxygen quenching rate constants indicate a diff usion-controlled energy transfer process for the monomers; but in the case of the dimers, these rate constants are up to 2 orders of magnitude less. S inglet oxygen quantum yields were measured. These are close to the triplet yields for the monomers, but markedly less for the dimers. These results we re interpreted as resulting from reversible energy transfer in the dimers i n competition with quenching to the ground-state surface. Reversible energy transfer with molecular oxygen occurs because the dimer triplet energies a re significantly lower than those of the monomers, probably because of char ge resonance interactions between the closely lying pi -planes. The reversi ble energy transfer kinetics allow estimation of the triplet energies which are 1-2 kcal mol(-1) lower than the energy gap in oxygen (22.5 kcal mol(-1 )). Ultrafast pump-probe spectrometry measurements were used to investigate the early dynamic events in the dimers. Tt has been determined that the ra te constant for intersystem crossing between the dimer lower exciton state and the triplet state was near 10(-10) s, varying somewhat with central met al. Experiments at high time resolution indicated that the lower exciton st ate is formed initially in a torsionally excited state, the cooling of whic h has a lifetime of about 10 ps.