The fluorescence of four semiflexibly bridged donor−bridge−acceptor systems was studied with a streak camera system. The information-rich streak data make a detailed analysis possible of both the kinetics and the spectral changes that take place. From the analysis, it follows that all compounds studied undergo a photoinduced harpooning process in which long-range electron transfer creates an extended charge-transfer (ECT) species, which converts to a compact charge-transfer (CCT) species due to Coulombic attraction. Both the ECT and CCT species display CT fluorescence. The harpooning process occurs even in solvents of medium polarity (e.g., diethyl ether), whereas it has previously been assumed for related compounds that this process only occurs in the gas phase and in nonpolar alkane solvents.

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Donor−acceptor compounds containing a phenylenediamine electron donor and a naphthalene, a cyanobenzene, or a cyanonaphthalene acceptor were studied. The two chromophores are connected by three different bridging units, consisting of CH 2 groups linked to a semiflexible piperidine or piperazine ring or to a rigid 2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane group. All donor−acceptor compounds show photoinduced charge separation, resulting in the formation of a compact charge-transfer (CCT) state in nonpolar solvents. The conformational change needed to arrive at this species is imposs-

Six new donor‐bridge‐acceptor compounds have been synthesized which contain a long n‐tetradecyl chain attached to the donor or acceptor moiety, or to both of them. Systems 1, 2, and 3 are analogs of the fluorescent probe molecule Fluoroprobe (4). They contain a rigidly extended 4‐methylenepiperidine bridge and show relatively strong charge transfer fluorescence in solvents of low and medium polarity. Systems 1a, 2a, and 3a contain a semiflexible 4‐methylpiperidine bridge, obtained after hydrogenation of the exocyclic double bond of 1, 2 and 3, respectively. These systems undergo a conformational change following photoinduced charge separation (“harpooning”) in nonpolar solvents and probably also in solvents of medium polarity. Both the steady state fluorescence spectra and the fluorescence decay times of the extended charge transfer (ECT) species show that the photoinduced folding process is effectively slowed down by the introduction of the long alkyl tails. This is most pronounced for 1a which has an n‐tetradecyl group attached to both donor and acceptor. In solution a small difference in the rate of folding is observed between 2a and 3a, which have a single n‐tetradecyl chain attached to the acceptor only and to the donor only, respectively.