Intermolecular electron transfer from naphthalene derivatives in the higher triplet excited states.

Intermolecular electron transfer (ELT) from a series of naphthalene derivatives (NpD) in the higher triplet excited states (T(n)) to carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in Ar-saturated acetonitrile was observed using the two-color two-laser flash photolysis method. The ELT efficiency depended on the driving force of ELT. Since the ELT from the T(n) state occurred competitively with the internal conversion (IC, T(n) --> T(1)) and the triplet energy transfer (ENT), the ELT became apparent only when sufficient free energy change of ELT was attained. On the other hand, ELT from the T(1) state was not observed, although ELT from the T(1) state with sufficiently long lifetime has a slightly exothermic driving force. The fast ELT from the T(n) state and lack of the reactivity of the T(1) state were explained well by the "sticky" dissociative electron-transfer model based on one-electron reductive attachment to CCl(4) leading to the C-Cl bond cleavage.