title: Solvents showing the external heavy atom effect in phosphorimetry.
abstract: Ten solvents containing heavy atoms were examined for suitability for use in the external heavy atom effect for routine phosphorimetry. In previous work only iodine-containing solvent systems have been used, and the incongruity of enhancement results for structurally similar compounds suggests that the ultraviolet transmission characteristics of the solvent systems may be responsible for fractional enhancements. In this study the effect of chlorine-, bromine-, and iodine-containing solvent systems on phosphorescence and fluorescence intensities was investigated. Generally, chlorine-, and bromine-containing solvent systems showed a significant improvement in phosphorimetric enhancements with slightly longer lifetimes than in solvent systems containing iodine. As expected from their smaller spin-orbit coupling, chlorine-containing solvent systems yield smaller enhancements than bromine-containing solvent systems. Solvent systems containing bromine seem to offer the best compromise between ultraviolet transmission characteristics and large spin-orbit coupling constants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, U.S.A.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Dunlap