Evidence for Competing Proton-Coupled Reaction Pathways of Molecular Triads in a Low-Polarity Solvent.

ABSTRACT: The temperature dependence of concerted proton-electron transfer (CPET) reactions of two anthracene-phenol-pyridine (An-PhOH-py) triads is investigated in toluene. Light excitation forms an anthracene local excited state (^1*An), which undergoes CPET to form a charge separated state (CSS, An^•--PhO^•-pyH⁺), which in turn undergoes CPET charge recombination (CR). In toluene, compared with polar solvents, the CSS is energetically destabilized. First, this makes another reaction competitive with CPET, which we propose is proton-coupled energy transfer (PCEnT) from ^1*An to form the short-lived excited state keto tautomer of the phenol-pyridine subunit (*[PhO═pyH]). Second, it puts CR deep into the Marcus inverted region,

SUBMITTER: Cotter LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11848912 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature