How Solvent Controls Electronic Energy Transfer and Light Harvesting

Gregory D. Scholes,*†‡ Carles Curutchet,§ Benedetta Mennucci,*† Roberto Cammi,§ and Jacopo Tomasi†
Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy, Department of Chemistry, 80 Saint George Street, Institute for Optical Sciences and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada, and Dipartimento di Chimica Generale ed Inorganica, Chimica Analitica e Chimica Fisica, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, I-43100 Parma, Italy
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2007, 111 (25), pp 6978–6982
DOI: 10.1021/jp072540p
Publication Date (Web): June 6, 2007
Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society

Abstract

Abstract Image

The way that solvent (or host medium) modifies the rate of electronic energy transfer (EET) has eluded researchers for decades. By applying quantum chemical methods that account for the way solvent (in general any host medium including liquid, solid, or protein, etc.) responds to the interaction between transition densities, we quantify the solvent screening. We find that it attains a striking exponential attenuation at separations less than about 20 Å, thus interpolating between the limits of no apparent screening and a significant attenuation of the EET rate. That observation reveals a previously unidentified contribution to the distance dependence of the EET rate.

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History

  • Published In Issue June 28, 2007
  • Received April 1, 2007
    Revised May 21, 2007

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