EXCITED-STATE PROTON-TRANSFER - AN OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERTURBATIONS

Effect of environmental perturbations on the excited state proton transfer (ESPT) reaction has been discussed. The perturbation is provided by the solvent or an external agent like crown ether, micelle-forming surfactant or cyclodextrin through changes in polarity and viscosity of the medium or some specific interaction with the probe. It has been observed that the perturbation has a marked effect on the equilibrium as well as on the kinetic rates of ESPT. For an encapsulated molecule the prototropic reaction has been shown to depend on the micro-environment as well as the molecular structure of the probe.