Ultrafast Dynamics of Porphyrins in the Condensed Phase: I. Free Base Tetraphenylporphyrin

Abstract

With femtosecond resolution, using fluorescence up-conversion and transient absorption, we have carried out measurements on free base tetraphenylporphyrin (H_2TPP) in benzene solution, pumping with ∼1300 cm^(-1) of excess vibrational energy in each of the Soret, Q_y, and Q_x bands, and also pumping the lowest vibrational band of Q_y. From these studies, made for different excitations and at different detection wavelengths, we provide a model for describing the elementary intramolecular processes in the Soret, Q_y, and Q_x electronic manifolds, with the following order of time scales and couplings: electronic (femtosecond), vibrational (femtosecond−picosecond), and singlet−triplet (nanosecond). These dynamical electronic and vibrational relaxation pathways in a molecule with small dipole in nonpolar solvents can be studied without interference from solvent reorganization, as indicated by the small Stokes shift of fluorescence. Vibrationally excited Soret → {Q_y,Q_x} and Q_y → Q_x electronic relaxation occurs in less than 100 fs, within our resolution, as evidenced by the immediate rise of Q_x fluorescence after Soret (397 nm) and Q_y (514 and 550 nm) excitation. There are generally three distinguishable ultrafast relaxation time scales within the Q_x state, which are assigned to intra- and intermolecular vibrational relaxation processes leading to thermal equilibrium in Q_x, the lowest excited singlet state. The measured time scales are as follows: 100−200 fs for intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution, 1.4 ps for vibrational redistribution caused by elastic collision with solvent molecules, and 10−20 ps for thermal equilibration by energy exchange with the solvent. Decay of the equilibrated Q_x population occurs on the nanosecond time scale by intersystem crossing to the triplet state.