10.1021/jo00263a051
The research focuses on the photochemistry of bichromophoric aromatic diketones, specifically examining the effect of the methylene chain on intramolecular energy transfer efficiency. The purpose of the study was to understand the mechanism of highly efficient intramolecular energy migration in diketone molecules, which are potential candidates for novel molecular electronic devices used in memory and switching applications. The researchers concluded that the efficiency of intramolecular energy transfer decreases as the number of methylene groups separating the two chromophores increases, with the most efficient transfer observed in the compound with three methylene groups (6c). This was attributed to the possibility of a rapid intramolecular triplet energy transfer via a sandwich-type conformation. The chemicals used in the process included a series of bichromophoric aromatic diketones (6a-c), benzene as the solvent for photolyses, and various reference compounds such as benzophenone (BP), 4-methylbenzophenone (2), and 4-methyl-2',4',6'-triisopropylbenzophenone (4). The study involved spectroscopic studies, preparative photolyses, and quantum yield measurements to analyze the photochemical reactions and energy transfer processes.