Solvent Effects on the Formation and Decay of Ionic Intermediates for the Photoreduction of Anthraquinone by Triethylamine in Ethanol, Toluene, and Acetonitrile at Room Temperature

Abstract

Abstract In toluene and ethanol containing triethylamine (TEA), a reaction of the lowest excited triplet state [3AQ(T1)] of anthraquinone (AQ) with ground-state TEA gave rise to the formation of an exciplex [3(AQ–TEA)*] which converted into a contact ion pair between the AQ radical anion (AQ−·) and the TEA radical cation (TEA+·). By an intramolecular proton transfer, this contact ion pair yielded anthrasemiquinone radical followed by the formation of 9,10-anthracenediol (AQH2); in ethanol, the monoanion (AQH−) of AQH2 was also produced. In ethanol/TEA, moreover, not only the decay rate constant of 3(AQ–TEA)* but also the quantum yield for the photoreduction of AQ were affected by the change of TEA concentration. This was interpreted in terms of the existence of a rapid interconversion between 3(AQ–TEA)* and atriplex [3(AQ–TEA2)*] of 3AQ(T1) with ground-state TEA. In contrast to the exciplex formation in ethanol and toluene, free AQ−· (and TEA+·) and 3(AQ–TEA)* [or a contact (or solvent-separated) ion pair between AQ−· and TEA+·] were produced in acetonitrile via the second and lowest excited triplet states of AQ, respectively: In the submicrosecond time regime, 3(AQ–TEA)* or the contact (or solvent-separated) ion pair dissociated into the radical ions (AQ−· and TEA+·) followed by their second-order reaction yielding finally AQH2 and AQH−.