EPR studies of the excited triplet states of C60O and C60C2H4N(CH3) fullerene derivatives and C70 in toluene and polymethylmethacrylate glasses and as films

Higher triplet state of fullerene C70 revealed by electron spin relaxation

Spin-lattice relaxation times T1 of photoexcited triplets (3)C70 in glassy decalin were obtained from electron spin echo inversion recovery dependences. In the range 30-100 K, the temperature dependence of T1 was fitted by the Arrhenius law with an activation energy of 172 cm(-1). This indicates that the dominant relaxation process of (3)C70 is described by an Orbach-Aminov mechanism involving the higher triplet state t2 which lies 172 cm(-1) above the lowest triplet state t1. Chemical modification of C70 fullerene not only decreases the intrinsic triplet lifetime by about ten times but also increases T1 by several orders of magnitude. The reason for this is the presence of a low-lying excited triplet state in (3)C70 and its absence in triplet C70 derivatives. The presence of the higher triplet state in C70 is in good agreement with the previous results from phosphorescence spectroscopy.

Isotropic reorientations of fullerene C70 triplet molecules in solid glassy matrices revealed by light-induced electron paramagnetic resonance

Continuous-wave X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of fullerene C(70) molecules excited to a triplet state by continuous light illumination was studied in molecular glasses of o-terphenyl and cis/trans-decaline and in the glassy polymers polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS). Above ∼100 K, a distinct narrowing of EPR lineshape of the triplet was observed, which was very similar for all systems studied. EPR lineshape was simulated reasonably well within a framework of a simple model of random jumps, which implies that the C(70) molecule performs isotropic orientational motion by sudden jumps of arbitrary angles. In simulations, a single correlation time τ(c) was used, varying in the range of 10(-7)-10(-8) s. Near and below 100 K electron spin echo (ESE) signals were also obtained which were found to decay exponentially. Correlation times τ(c) obtained from simulation of the EPR spectra in the slow-motion limit (τ(c) close to 10(-7) s) turned out to be in good agreement with the phase memory times T(M) of the ESE decay, which additionally supports the employed simple model. The observed motional effects provide evidence that the nanostructure of the solid glassy media of different origins is soft enough to allow a large asymmetric C(70) molecule to reorient rapidly. Except for the EPR spectra of the triplet, in the center of the spectra, a small admixture of a narrow line was also observed; its possible nature is briefly discussed.

Effects of spin transitions degeneracy in pulsed EPR of the fullerene C70 triplet state produced by continuous light illumination

X-band echo-detected electron paramagnetic resonance (ED EPR) spectra of triplet state of fullerene C(70) generated by continuous light illumination were found to correspond below 30K to a non-equilibrium electron spin polarization. Above 30K spectra are characteristic of Boltzmann equilibrium. Spectra were simulated fairly well with zero-field splitting parameters D=153 MHz and E and distributed within the range of 6-42 MHz. The origin of E distribution is attributed to the Jahn-Teller effect, which in glassy matrix is expected to depend on the local surrounding of a fullerene molecule (a so-called E-strain). In the center of ED EPR spectra a narrow hole was observed. With increase of the microwave pulse turning angle this hole transforms into a single narrow absorptive line. Numerical simulations by density matrix formalism confirm that central hole originates from a simultaneous excitation of both allowed electron spin transitions of the triplet (T(0)↔T(+) and T(0)↔T(-)), because of their degeneracy at this spectral position. Also explanations are given why this hole has not been observed in the previously reported experiments on continuous wave EPR and on ED EPR under laser pulse excitation.

Triplet topology of self-assembled zinc porphyrin-pyridylfullerene complex

This work extends a recent EPR study on light-driven electron and energy transfer in a self-assembled zinc porphyrin-pyridylfullerene (ZnP-PyrF) complex. We report on a triplet line shape analysis of the photoexcited PyrF monomer and the ZnP-PyrF complex dissolved in isotropic and anisotropic matrixes of different polarity, namely, toluene, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and the nematic liquid crystals (LCs), E-7 and ZLI-4389. The line shape of the unbound *(3)PyrF obtained in both isotropic matrixes exhibits triplet parameters similar to those obtained for other monoadducts of C(60) under similar experimental conditions. On the other hand, 8(3)PyrF oriented in the LCs shows a complicated line shape, which is attributed to two conformers: (a) an axial dominant (85%) configuration characterized by triplet parameters, similar to those obtained in the isotropic matrixes and (b) a bent configuration associated with spin density localized about the poles accompanied by sign reversal of the ZFS parameter D of the *(3)C(60) moiety. Further, since in both LCs the ZnP-PyrF complex mainly exhibits a conformation with axial symmetry, the differences between the electron and the energy transfer routes in each LC are attributed to their different polarity. This study reflects the strength of LC matrixes to serve as a topological tool, enabling us to determine the conformers' distribution and to differentiate between electron and energy transfer routes.

Optical spectrum of C60 mono-adducts: assignment of transition bands using time-resolved EPR magneto-photo-selection

The magneto-photo-selection technique implemented in the time-resolved EPR (TR-EPR) experiment is used for studying the characteristics of the optical spectrum of C(60) mono-adducts, in the 410-690 nm wavelength range. The analysis of the shape of the triplet state TR-EPR spectra of the mono-adducts, recorded after laser light pulses having polarization parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field direction allows to determine the orientation distribution of the excited molecules; whence the direction of transition moments in the molecular frame is inferred. This information provides the assignment of the vibronic states symmetries.

Synthesis and reactivity of N@C60O

The endohedral fullerene epoxide N@C60O was synthesised, isolated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and characterised by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR). This nitrogen radical displays predominantly axial symmetry characteristics as expected for a monoadduct, evidenced by a zero-field splitting D parameter of 6.6 MHz and an E parameter of 0.5 MHz in powder at 77 K. Photo- and thermally-activated silencing of the nitrogen radical were observed, the latter showing the evolution of a new spin signal during heating at 100 degrees C. We suggest that loss of nitrogen spin is due to coupling with a radical formed by opening of the epoxide ring. This implies that the reaction of C60O with C60 in the solid state proceeds via a radical, rather than ionic, intermediate.

Synthesis, Photophysics, and Photoresponse of Fullerene-Based Azoaromatic Dyads

The synthesis and photophysical characterization of a series of fullerene-based, donor-acceptor dyads is presented, along with a description of their behavior as single molecular components in photovoltaic cells. The spectroscopic and photophysical properties of the dyads, investigated by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, pico- and nanosecond transient optical spectroscopy and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, revealed that the dyads undergo multiple-step energy transfer from the donor singlet excited state to the fullerene triplet excited state, which in turn decays to the donor triplet state. The inefficient formation of a charge-separated state, both in solution and in the solid state, translates into a poor photovoltaic performance of dyads 2 b-4 b if compared to that of dyad 1 b, in which photoinduced electron transfer is operative in the solid state. In addition, the results of the photophysical investigation suggested that the performance of the solar cells was also limited by the low-lying donor triplet excited state that acts as a photoexcitation energy sink.

Photoinduced Long-Lived Charge Separation in a Tetrathiafulvalene−Porphyrin−Fullerene Triad Detected by Time-Resolved Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

Photoinduced electron transfer has been observed in a molecular triad, consisting of a porphyrin (P) covalently linked to a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and a fullerene derivative (C(60)), in the different phases of the liquid crystal E-7 and in a glass of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) by means of time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In both solvents, an EPR signal observed immediately after excitation has been assigned to the radical pair TTF(*+)-P-C(60)(*-), based on its magnetic interaction parameters and spin polarization pattern. In the 2-MeTHF glass and the crystalline phase of E-7, the TTF(*+)-P-C(60)(*-) state is formed from the TTF-(1)P-C(60) singlet state via an initial TTF-P(*+)-C(60)(*-) charge-separated state. Long-lived charge separation ( approximately 8 mus) for the singlet-born radical pair is observed in the 2-MeTHF glass at cryogenic temperatures. In the nematic phase of E-7, a high degree of ordering in the liquid crystal is achieved by the molecular triad. In this phase, both singlet- and triplet-initiated electron transfer routes are concurrently active. At room temperature in the presence of the external magnetic field, the triplet-born radical pair (T)(TTF(*+)-P-C(60)(*-)) has a lifetime of approximately 7 mus, while that of the singlet-born radical pair (S)(TTF(*+)-P-C(60)(*-)) is much shorter (<1 mus). The difference in lifetimes is ascribed to spin dynamic effects in the magnetic field.

Efficient charge separation in porphyrin-fullerene-ligand complexes

Photoprocesses associated with the complexation of a pyridine-functionalized C60 fullerene derivative to ruthenium- and zinc-tetraphenylporphyrins (tpp) have been studied by time-resolved optical and transient EPR spectroscopies. It has been found that upon irradiation in toluene, a highly efficient triplet-triplet energy transfer governs the deactivation of the photoexcited [Ru(tpp)], while electron transfer (ET) from the porphyrin to the fullerene prevails in polar solvents. Complexation of [Zn(tpp)] by the fullerene derivative is reversible and, following excitation of the [Zn(tpp)], gives rise to very efficient charge separation. In fluid polar solvents such as THF and benzonitrile, radical-ion pairs (RPs) are generated both by intramolecular ET inside the complex and by intermolecular ET in the uncomplexed form. Charge-separated states have lifetimes of about 10 micros in THF and several hundred of microseconds in benzonitrile at room temperature.

Simulation of EPR and time resolved EPR lineshapes in partially ordered glasses

Simulation of magnetic resonance spectra of probes in partially ordered glasses requires in principle a numerical integration on the full set of three Euler angles omega=(alpha beta gamma) from a laboratory fixed to a molecule fixed reference frame. It is shown that it is possible to manage efficiently this problem by using the algebraic properties of the Wigner matrix elements. This analysis is applied to time resolved EPR (TREPR) spectra of a series of bis-adducts of C60 in the ordered glass of a nematic liquid crystal solvent. A paramagnetic triplet state is created by light excitation and TREPR spectra are obtained with the external magnetic field set parallel or perpendicular to the director n of the mesophase. The preferred orientation in the mesophase of the triplet state zero field tensor is determined.