Excited-state proton transfer in N-methyl-6-hydroxyquinolinium salts: solvent and temperature effects.
The excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) reaction of the "super"photoacid N-methyl-6-hydroxyquinolinium (MHQ) was studied using both fluorescence upconversion and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) techniques. The ultrafast ESPT kinetics were investigated in various alcohols and water and determined to be solvent-controlled. The ESPT temperature dependence of MHQ was also studied in various alcohols and compared to that observed for another "super"photoacid, 5,8-dicyano-2-naphthol (DCN2). A full set of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters describing the ESPT was obtained. The protolytic photodissociation rate constant for MHQ was higher than that for DCN2, while the ESPT activation energies of MHQ were smaller. These findings are attributed to the approximately 3 orders of magnitude differences in excited-state acidities of MHQ and DCN2.
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, USA.
Elizabeth-Ann
EA
Gould
Alexander V
AV
Popov
Laren M
LM
Tolbert
Itay
I
Presiado
Yuval
Y
Erez
Dan
D
Huppert
Kyril M
KM
Solntsev