S. S. Jayanthi and P. Ramamurthy
The free energy dependence on the fluorescence quenching of 2,4,6-triphenylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate (TPP) by a variety of halogenated benzenes, has been studied in chloroform. The kq values calculated using ΔG‡ from the Levine expression and the kd value of 4.07×1010 M-1 s-1 from the Smoluchowski expression are in good agreement with the experimental kq values. The observation of the TPP radical signal at 550 nm and the good correlation of kq with the ΔGet values expound the possibility of an electron transfer mechanism. The radical yield and intersystem crossing rate constants are evaluated using the flash photolysis technique. The recombination rate constant (kb) values obtained from the radical yield values are compared with the kb values calculated using the semi-classical expression. On the basis of the present data in chloroform and previous data in acetonitrile, the effect of solvent on the free energy of activation, diffusion, radical yield and radical pair recombination are elucidated.