Spectroscopic Investigation of Fluorescence Quenching Agents. Part II: Effect of Nitromethane on the Fluorescence Emission Behavior of Thirty-Six Alternant Benzenoid Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract

Nitromethane is examined as a selective quenching agent for discriminating between “alternant” versus “nonalternant” polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in unknown mixtures. Of the 36 benzenoid solutes studied, only dibenzo[hi,wx]heptaphene failed to obey the selective quenching rule. Also reported are new experimental fluorescence probe studies for dibenzo[de,st]pentacene, dibenzo[fg,qr]pentacene, naphtho[8,1,2hij)-hexaphene, benzo[vwx]hexaphene, benzo[1,2,3cd;4,5,6c'd‘]diperylene, dibenzo[hi,wx]heptacene, benzo[b]triphenylene, chrysense, and anthracene dissolved in nonelectrolyte solvents of varying polarity. Benzo-[vwx]hexaphene was found to exhibit probe character, as evidenced by a systematic variation in emission intensity ratio with solvent polarity.