Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.102, No.18, 3363-3370, 1998
Hole injection and formation of polarons in cycloalkane liquids
In several cycloalkanes, ionization of the solvent or photoexcitation of a solute radical cation results in the formation of rapidly hopping solvent holes. Here we report the temperature dependence of scavenging rate constants and conductivity signals (220 to 350 K) for the solvent holes in liquid cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, and Decalins. Our results indicate that the hopping in Decalins and methylcyclohexane is thermally activated; the activation energies are of the same order as the energy of solvent reorganization. In cyclohexane, the hopping does not seem to be thermally activated. We discuss the hypothesis that the mobile solvent holes in cycloalkanes are small polarons migrating by phonon-assisted hopping.
Keywords:HIGH-MOBILITY IONS;TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE;TRANSIENT ABSORPTION;DISORDERED-SYSTEMS;ELECTRON-TRANSPORT;MOLECULAR-SOLIDS;RATE CONSTANTS;POSITIVE-IONS;CONDUCTIVITY;CYCLOHEXANE