Mercury-sensitized luminescence of some aliphatic amines

Abstract

Rate constants for quenching of 253.7 nm fluorescence and quantum efficiencies for emission of luminescence during mercury-sensitized photolysis have been measured for methylamine, ethylaminc, n-propylamine, isopropylamine, n-butylamine, isobutylamine, tert-butylamine, sec-butylamine, dimethylamine, diethylamine, trimethylamine and triethylamine. From the variation of luminescent efficiency with the structure of the amine we conclude that the main process competing with luminescence, during the reaction of Hg(³P_o) with an amine, is normally the abstraction of an α-hydrogen atom. Strong σ^*→n fluorescence was observed during 253.7 nm irradiation of trimethylamine, triethylamine and tri-n-propylamine.