Isomerization Dynamics of Dicyanine A in n‐Alcoholic Solution

The radiationless relaxation of dicyanine A molecules in n‐alcohols methanol to butanol has been studied by picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy and time‐resolved nonlinear spectroscopy. The fluorescence decay rates have been measured as a function of viscosity, temperature, and fluorescence wavelength. It is shown that the wavelength dependence can be explained by coexistence of two ground‐state conformers. The intrinsic activation barrier for the nonradiative decay from the excited surface is very small, much less than 1 kcal/mol. In a particular solvent the time constants of the nonradiative relaxation show a linear dependence on the variation of viscosity. The experimental data are discussed in relation to the BFO theory (Bagchi, B.; Fleming, G.R.; Oxtoby, D.W. J. Chem. Phys. 1983, 78: 7375).