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An approach is developed that allows estimation of excited quadrupole molecule parameters responsible for changes in vibration frequencies in states with symmetry breaking by charge transfer from time-resolved IR spectra. The approach is tested on a molecule like A-π-D-π-A composed of an electron-accepting group A coupled with electron-donating group D by means of π-conjugated bonds, a D pyrrolopyrrole core, and two cyanophenyl acceptors. The expression derived for the IR spectrum of a molecule with symmetry breaking is shown to perfectly describe experimental data. The numerical values of the parameters of asymmetry in a series of solvents with different polarities and the solvent-independent parameters of the molecule itself are determined.

A significant number of quadrupolar dyes with a D-$pi$-A-$pi$-D or A-$pi$-D-$pi$-A structure, where D and A are electron donor and acceptor groups, were shown to undergo symmetry breaking (SB) upon optical excitation. During this process, the electronic excitation, originally distributed evenly over the molecule, concentrates on one D-$pi$-A branch, and the molecule becomes dipolar. This process can be monitored by time resolved infra-red (TRIR) spectroscopy and causes significant spectral dynamics. A theoretical model of excited-state SB developed earlier ( extit{J. Phys. Chem. C}, extbf{2018}, extit{132}, 29165) is extended to account for the temporal changes taking place in the IR spectrum upon SB. This model can reproduce the IR spectral dynamics observed in the $-mathrm{C}equiv mathrm{C}-$ stretching region with a D-$pi$-A-$pi$-D dye in two polar solvents using a single set of molecular parameters. This approach allows estimating the degree of asymmetry of the excited state in different solvents as well as its change during SB. Additionally, the relative contribution of the different mechanisms responsible for the splitting of the symmetric and antisymmetric $-mathrm{C}equiv mathrm{C}-$ stretching bands, which are both IR active upon SB, can be determined.

A consistent theory of electron transfer symmetry breaking (SB) dynamics in excited quadrupolar molecules in polar solvents is developed. The interaction of the electronic subsystem of the molecule with intramolecular degrees of freedom and solvent polarization is taken into account and is divided into interaction with inertial and inertialess degrees of freedom. A strong influence of the inertialess polarization of the solvent on the extent of symmetry breaking is revealed. The theory is nonlinear due to the equilibration of inertialess degrees of freedom to the solute electronic state. The interaction of a molecule with the inertial solvent polarization is described in terms of a single variable-the reaction coordinate, for which a rigorous definition is given. The free energy of the system is derived, and the motion of the system along the reaction coordinate is modeled by the Smoluchowski equation. The theory is adapted to describe the dynamics of SB in real solvents characterized by several relaxation time scales. Conditions for the applicability of a much simpler stationary SB model are formulated. The role of thermal fluctuations in the solvent polarization is clarified. Instead of the magnitude of the dissymmetry parameter, a distribution function of molecules over this parameter is introduced. An analysis of the Franck-Condon state created by a short pump pulse shows that it has distinct features of a state with broken symmetry for a wide range of parameters. Thermal fluctuations of the solvent polarization are shown to crucially affect SB.

A general analytical expression for the transient fluorescence spectrum is derived. The formation of a wave packet in the excited state of a fluorophore is described, assuming that the pump pulse has a Gaussian time-profile. The expression explicitly connects the relaxation characteristics of the medium with the spectral dynamics of a fluorophore. Fitting the expression to experimental spectral dynamics allows obtaining the solvent relaxation function. So far this approach was applicable for the analysis of experimental data when the pump pulse does not populate excited sublevels of intramolecular high-frequency vibrational modes. Here, the approach is generalized to include vibrational relaxation in the excited electronic state. In this case, fitting to the experimental spectral dynamics provides reliable information not only on the solvent relaxation, but also on the relaxation time constants of intramolecular high-frequency vibrational modes. This approach is applied to the excited state dynamics of coumarin 153 in multiple solvents, obtained from broadband fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy.

The dependence of the photoinduced charge transfer rate constant on the pump pulse carrier frequency is shown to be strong, and it is considerably affected by the value of the reorganization energy of low-frequency modes at the stage of excitation. In the area of small values of the reorganization energy, the dependence of the charge transfer rate constant on the pump pulse carrier frequency is strongly nonmonotonic that is caused by vibrational resonances and variation of the initial position of the wave packet on the term of the locally excited state. Increasing the reorganization energy smoothes the dependence. The smoothing is caused by the broadening of the vibrational resonances and their overlapping. The high-frequency vibrational mode excitation typically accelerates the charge transfer in both areas of high and low exergonicity and decelerates it in the vicinity of the Marcus barrierless region.

In this article, regularities of ultrafast charge recombination (CR) kinetics in photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer in polar solvents are studied. The kinetics of charge separation and ensuing ultrafast CR are simulated within the framework of the multichannel stochastic model. This model accounts for the reorganization of both the solvent and a number of intramolecular high-frequency vibrational modes. The solvent relaxation is described in terms of two relaxation modes. For ultrafast CR, the free-energy-gap law strongly depends on the parameters: the electronic coupling, reorganization energy of intramolecular high-frequency vibrational modes, and the vibrational and solvent relaxation times. The semilog dependence of the CR rate constant on the free-energy gap varies from a parabolic shape to a nearly linear one with increasing the electronic coupling and decreasing the vibrational relaxation time. The dynamic solvent effect in CR is predicted to be large in the area of strong exergonicity and small in the area of weak exergonicity. This regularity is opposite to that observed for the thermal reactions.

A model of photoinduced ultrafast charge separation and ensuing charge recombination into the ground state has been developed. The model includes explicit description of the formation and evolution of nonequilibrium state of both the intramolecular vibrations and the surrounding medium. An effect of the high-frequency intramolecular vibrational mode excitation by a pumping pulse on ultrafast charge separation and charge recombination kinetics has been investigated. Simulations, in accord with experiment, have shown that the effect may be both positive (the vibrational mode excitation increases the charge-transfer rate constant) and negative (opposite trend). The effect on charge separation kinetics is predicted to be bigger than that on the charge recombination rate but nevertheless the last is large enough to be observable. The amplitude of both effects falls with decreasing vibrational relaxation time constant, but the effects are expected to be observable up to the time constants as short as 200 fs. Physical interpretation of the effects has been presented. Comparisons with the experimental data have shown that the simulations, in whole, provide results close to that obtained in the experiment. The reasons of the deviations have been discussed.