Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer and exciplex formation in anthracene and pyrene binary compounds

Two series of six donor-acceptor binary compounds, pyrene-dicyanovinylbenzene (Py-n-DCVB) and anthracene-dicyanovinylbenzene (An-n-DCVB), with different chain lengths were designed and synthesized. Using steady state spectroscopy and time resolved spectroscopy, the effects of solvent polarity, viscosity, temperature and salt content were studied. The photoinduced electron transfer and exciplex formation processes, as a function of the dynamics of chain conformation and the size of electron donor unit, are discussed and compared respectively for all six binary compounds. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.