Abstract

Solvation processes are fundamental to nearly every liquid phase chemical reaction. In spite of this importance, the microscopic dynamics of solvation remain poorly understood. Direct, time-resolved measurements are needed to elucidate the details of solvation at the molecular level. Picosecond measurements are appropriate to the study of the dynamics of excited-state relaxation, and have been widely exploited in the past. Processes previously investigated include hydrogen bond formation,^1,2 "solvent-assisted" intramolecular charge-transfer,³ and conformational isomerization.⁴ These interesting intramolecular and intermolecular reactions occur on a time scale amenable to picosecond study—on the order of 200-300 ps for hydrogen bond formation, and 10-20 ps for conformational changes.

© 1984 Optical Society of America