Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.106, No.18, 4784-4793, 2002
Electron transfer reactions of C-shaped molecules in alkylated aromatic solvents: Evidence that the effective electronic coupling magnitude is temperature-dependent
The charge separation (S-1 --> CT) and charge recombination (CT --> S-1) rate constants for a C-shaped, donor-bridge-acceptor molecule in the solvent 1,3-di-isopropylbenzene are found to increase, reach a maximum, and then decrease as the temperature is raised from 215 to 360 K. The reaction free energy change for the charge separation and charge recombination processes are determined from the ratio of the two rate constants. The charge separation and the charge recombination rate constants also display a maximum when plotted against the experimental reaction free energy (Marcus plot). This behavior can be quantitatively modeled in two different ways: (i) using a small and temperature-independent value of the solvent reorganization energy, which results in transitions between the Marcus normal and the Marcus inverted region as the reaction free energy changes with temperature and (ii) allowing a decrease in the magnitude of the donor-acceptor electronic coupling at elevated temperatures. The latter explanation is shown to be more consistent with current information regarding the magnitude and temperature dependence of the solvent reorganization energy in alkylaromatic solvents and with known examples of the Marcus inverted region.