Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer: A Short Introductory Review

In this short review, we attempt to unfold various aspects of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the studies that are available up to date. Since Weller’s discovery of ESIPT in salicylic acid (SA) and its derivative methyl salicylate (MS), numerous studies have emerged on the topic and it has become an attractive field of research because of its manifold applications. Here, we discuss some critical aspects of ESIPT and tautomerization from the mechanistic viewpoint. We address excitation wavelength dependence, anti-Kasha ESIPT, fast and slow ESIPT, reversibility and irreversibility of ESIPT, hydrogen bonding and geometrical factors, excited-state double proton transfer (ESDPT), concerted and stepwise ESDPT.

Excitation wavelength dependence of the fluorescence lifetime of anisole

Excitation-wavelength-dependent fluorescence lifetime measurements of anisol as a representative for practically important gas-phase fluorescence tracers are used to investigate the performance and further improve photo-physical models.