In the presence of moderate to high concentrations of
electrolytes, the emission of
*[Pt2(pop)4]4-
(where pop
= μ-pyrophosphite-P,P‘) is quenched by the
complexes [Co(CN)5X]3-
(where X = N3
-, I-,
Br-, Cl-, but not
CN-). The salt effects on the emission decay
lifetime quenching rate constants between these anionic
species
have been studied in the presence of MCl, M‘Cl2, or
R
n
NH4
-
n
Cl
(where M, M‘, and R represent alkali, alkaline
earth metals, and alkyl respectively, n = 0−3) and
K
n
X (X = Cl-, Br-,
NO3
-,
SO4
2-,
[Co(CN)6]3-, n
=
1−3). At 0.5 M cation concentration, second-order quenching rate
constants, k
q, are in the “nearly
diffusion-controlled” range, 107−109 L
mol-1 s-1, and
k
q decreases by an order of magnitude across the
series of
quenchers [Co(CN)5I]3- >
[Co(CN)5N3]3- >
[Co(CN)5Br]3- >
[Co(CN)5Cl]3-. On the
basis of a detailed
study of [Co(CN)5I]3-, the
quenching efficiency increases with background electrolyte
concentration and the
measured rate constants are in good agreement with predictions based on
the Debye−Smoluchowski and
Debye−Eigen equations for diffusion-controlled formation and
dissociation in ionic solution of an encounter
pair, together with a rate constant of 1.2 × 109
s-1 for the quenching step. However, the
analysis provides
further evidence for the Olson−Simonson effect; that is, in the
presence of multivalent electrolyte ions, the
salt effects are determined by the counterion concentration, here the
cation, rather than by the ionic strength.
Specific cation effects are observed such that the quenching rate
constants increase in the following
sequences: Li+ < Na+ < K+
< Cs+; Mg2+ < Ca2+ <
Sr2+ < Ba2+;
NH4
+ < MeNH3
+ <
Me2NH2
+ <
Me3NH+;
Et3NH+ <
Et2NH2
+ <
EtNH3
+;
n-PrNH3
+ <
EtNH3
+ < MeNH3
+.
For the alkali or alkaline-earth
cations the large effects seen require participation of the cation in
the transition state for the quenching step;
the alkylammonium cations are also effective in this role, but the
small differences in their efficiencies can
be rationalized in terms of their effects on water
structure.