Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.106, No.35, 8006-8012, 2002
Excited-state double-proton transfer on 3-methyl-7-azaindole in a single crystal: Deuterium isotope/tunneling effect
Unlike 7-azaindole consisting of the tetrameric configuration, 3-methyl-7-azaindole (3MAI) exists solely as intact double hydrogen-bonded dimeric forms in a single crystal. Both steady-state and time-resolved measurements down to 8.0 K reveal remarkable deuterium isotope effects on the rate of excited-state double proton transfer (ESDPT) in the N(1)-deuterated 3MAI (3MAI-d) single crystal. The rates of ESDPT for the 3MAI-d dimer resolved at < 150 K are mainly governed by the proton tunneling mechanism. At < 12 K, the nearly temperature-independent ESDPT dynamics lead us to qualitatively deduce a barrier height of similar to1.73 kcal/mol for the 3MAI-d dimer. The results provide an ideal model to investigate the intrinsic ESDPT dynamics for 7-azaindole analogues in which the structural information is well documented.