Laser Photodetachment from Aromatic Anions in Nonpolar Solvents

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j150605a017

A combined X-ray visible-dye-laser double-pulse technique is used to determine the photodetachment (action) spectra of the anions of biphenyl, trans-stylbene, pyrene, perylene, benzperylene, coronene, and nitrobenzene in nonpolar solvents.Quantum yields of electrons (Φ_e) are reported for the visible transitions and photodetachment is shown to be a major process for visible light.For pyrene and trans-stylbene anions the quantum yields are 0.47 and 0.31 independent of solvent.For perylene and benzperylene anions Φ_e is solvent dependent.The results are interpreted in terms of autoionizing excited states which can also internally convert to ground state anions.The mechanism of autoionization and the lifetime of the excited states in solution are discussed.