Radiation chemical and photophysical properties of C₆₀ (C₄H₈SO₃Na)_n in aqueous solution: a laser flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis study

Abstract

Optical absorption studies on aqueous solutions of C₆₀(C₄H₈SO₃Na)_n (n = 4-6) revealed deviation from the Beer-Lambert law in the 250-350 nm region, which is assigned to the formation of solute aggregates at concentrations higher than 1 × 10^-3 mol dm^-3. Dynamic light scattering experiments showed aggregates with an average size of ∼100 nm. The solute has a broad weak fluorescence emission (Φƒ = 1.8 × 10^-3) in the 450-650 nm region, which remained independent of solute concentration. The broad transient absorption band in the 450-900 nm region ( ε660 = 2170 dm³ mol^-1 cm^-1), which formed immediately on laser flash photolysis (λ_ex = 355 nm, 35 ps), is assigned to singlet-singlet transition. It decays to a triplet excited state whose absorption is observed to depend strongly on solute concentration. In dilute solutions, an absorption band with λ_max = 590 nm is seen, and at high solute concentration a broad absorption in the 500-900 nm region is observed. The e_aq^- reacts with the solute with a bimolecular rate constant of 1.7 × 10⁸ dm³ mol^-1 s^-1 and forms weak broad absorption bands at 440, 540, 620, 870, 940, and 1020 nm. Isopropanol radicals also react with the solute with a bimolecular rate constant of 2.3 × 10⁸ dm³ mol^-1 s^-1 with the formation of a transient optical absorption spectrum similar to that observed on reaction with e_aq^- and assigned to a solute radical anion. The ^•H and ^-OH radicals react with bimolecular rate constants of 3.2 × 10⁹ and 4.4 × 10⁹ dm³ mol^-1 s^-1, respectively, and form transient absorption bands at 440, 510, and 660 nm. Based on electron transfer studies with suitable electron donor/acceptor substrates, the ranges of the reduction and oxidation potentials of the solute an estimated.