“Fast” triplet excimer formation in fluid solutions of dinaphthylalkanes

Abstract

In fluid solutions, α,α-dinaphthylalkanes from triplet excimers instantaneously with excitation by a nanosecond laser pulse (≈ 17 ns pulse width). The temporal characteristics and chain-length dependence of this “fast” triplet excimer formation suggest that the precursor of the excimer is a ground-state van der Waals dimer. These results are discussed in relation to possible conformational similarities between the triplet excimer and ground-state dimer, and conformation-enhanced spin-orbit coupling.