Linear polyenes, such as 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene (DPB), possess C2h symmetry, which gives rise to a ground state of 11Ag symmetry and excited-state symmetries of either 21Ag or 11Bu. The ordering of the first two excited states in the linear polyene series depends heavily on the local environment. For most molecules of the linear polyene series, the ordering of the first two excited states is known. However, the excited-state ordering of DPB, which contains two double bonds, remains unclear. In this work, we utilize femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy and picosecond time-correlated single photon counting to observe the 11Bu and 21Ag states of DPB in several solvents. Through the use of broadband transient absorption spectroscopy, we have been able to simultaneously observe both the 11Bu and 21Ag states of DPB. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of the 21Ag state in DPB via electronic spectroscopy.

Direct observation of the 2<sup>1</sup>A<sub>g</sub> excited electronic state of 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene in the condensed phase by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy

239th National Meeting (2010)

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Direct observation of the 21Ag excited electronic state of 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene in the condensed phase by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy

Direct observation of the 2¹A_g excited electronic state of 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene in the condensed phase by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy