Zinc phthalocyanine anions produced in a laser desorption source were stored in an electrostatic ion storage ring, and the excitation spectra of laser-induced reactions yielding neutral species were measured for the first time. The time evolution of the excitation spectra as a function of the storage time has revealed radiative cooling of the hot anions. The measured spectra after 174.7 ms cooling agree well with the reported absorption spectra for the pi*-pi* transitions in solution. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.