Phosphorescence excitation mapping and vibrational spectroscopy of HC9N and HC11N cyanopolyynes in organic solvents

Cyanopolyyne molecules, HC9N and HC11N, were isolated in solutions and UV, IR, and resonance Raman spectra were measured for the study of their electronic and vibrational properties. Strong signals were observed both in the IR and resonance Raman spectra for the stretching vibrational mode of the sp-hybridized linear carbon chain in the electronic ground state, i.e., σ4 at 2141 cm−1 for HC9N and σ6 at 2105 cm−1 for HC11N. Trapped in cryogenic solid acetonitrile matrix hosts at 20 K, transitions in phosphorescence, a˜3Σ+ → X˜1Σ+, were observed for HC9N at 582.3 nm (0–0) and longer wavelengths and for HC11N at 643.7 nm (0–0) and longer wavelengths. Electronic transitions in the UV, 1Σ+ ← X˜1Σ+, were elucidated by phosphorescence excitation mapping to observe asymmetric patterns with sharp emission-absorption features explainable by Shpolsky effects. For HC9N, three distinct trapping sites were discernible in solid acetonitrile, while the phosphorescence spectra were blurred in solid n-hexane. The observed phosphorescence lifetime of HC9N was longer than that of HC11N, comparable to the trend reported for the series of cyanopolyyne molecules in solid krypton matrix hosts.