Excitation Energy Transfer in Alkanes. II. Experimental Demonstration

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Abstract
A very efficient energy‐transfer process is reported here which occurs in alkane molecules during irradiation with an efficiency which is strongly dependent on molecular chain length. The energy transfer is detected by addition of small amounts of suitable additives that ionize or dissociate into fragments which can be detected by visible and ultraviolet absorption measurements. Such energy transfer has hitherto usually been explained on a positive charge‐transfer model but the evidence here strongly suggests that excitation energy transfer is in fact the dominant mechanism and that some reassessment of the other model may be needed. Energy transfer occurs predominantly along the molecular chains, over distances at least ∼1500 Å in long chain alkanes.