PHOTOCHEMISTRY

Prof. T.P. Softley

Michaelmas Term – 3rd Year

Electronic transitions of polyatomic molecules. Beer-Lambert law, selection rules and absorption strength, vibronic transitions, radiative lifetime, Franck-Condon Principle.
Fates of excited states; Jablonski Diagram, Fluorescence and phosphorescence, Vibrational relaxation, Intersystem crossing and internal conversion, Intramolecular Vibrational Redistribution, Dissociation/Predissociation, Lifetimes of excited states.
Quantum yield
Fluorescence/phosphorescence quenching, Stern-Volmer plot.
Application of Fermi's Golden Rule, energy-gap law, El-Sayed rules, isotope effects.
Electronic energy transfer, long-range and short-range mechanisms.
Exciplex formation, Triplet sensitization and delayed fluorescence.
Chemical reactivity of electronically excited molecules; acidity, redox, orbital character etc.
Modern experimental methods for studying the dynamics and control of photochemical processes in gas and solution phases.

Synopsis of Lectures in more detail and Tutorial Problems and Exercises

Powerpoint Presentation of Lectures