Photoisomerization dynamics of 3,3′-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide in ionic liquids: Breakdown of hydrodynamic Kramers model

Abstract

Photoisomerization dynamics of 3,3'-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) has been examined in a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium (alkyl = methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and hexyl) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides by measuring its fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields. This study has essentially been undertaken to find out whether the process of photoisomerization of DODCI in ionic liquids is different compared to that observed in conventional solvents such as alcohols. Activation energy of the reaction has been attained with the aid of isoviscosity plots and was found to be 22 ± 3 kJ mol(-1), which is a factor of two higher compared to that obtained in alcohols. The significantly higher activation energy obtained in bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides compared to alcohols is probably due to the highly ordered nature of the ionic liquids, which hinders the twisting process. Kramers theory has been applied to understand the reduced isomerization rate constants in terms of solvent friction. As in case of alcohols, the isomerization data could not be explained by the Kramers model. However, a power law relation, which is a phenomenological functional form, could mimic the observed trend.