Premium
Photoinduced Symmetry‐Breaking Charge Separation
Author(s) -
Vauthey Eric
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201200106
Subject(s) - photoexcitation , symmetry breaking , charge (physics) , acceptor , chemical physics , chromophore , photoinduced charge separation , symmetry (geometry) , chemistry , electron acceptor , electron transfer , spontaneous symmetry breaking , photochemistry , molecular physics , atomic physics , physics , excited state , condensed matter physics , catalysis , quantum mechanics , organic chemistry , geometry , mathematics , photocatalysis , artificial photosynthesis
Molecular systems where several apparently equivalent charge separation pathways exist upon photoexcitation are presented. They encompass MQ n ( n ≥2) architectures, where M is a chromophore and Q an electron transfer quencher (either donor or acceptor), and M–M systems where M acts as both electron donor and acceptor. In all cases, charge separation involves symmetry breaking. The conditions for such process to be operative as well as the origin of the symmetry breaking are discussed.