Fluorescence and Phosphorescence

Submitted to: Prof. Dr.
Moin ud Din
Submitted by: Muhammad Umar Farooq
Roll no: 25603
Course Title: Luminescence Spectroscopy
Course Code: CHM-606 3(3-0)
BS Hons Chemistry
8th Semester Morning
Fluorescence and
Phosphorescence
Introduction, Definition and Principle
Fluorescence is the emission of electromagnetic radiation, especially of visible
light, stimulated in a substance by the absorption of incident radiation and
persisting only as long as the stimulating radiation is continued.
Phosphorescence is the luminescence that is caused by the absorption of

radiations (such as light or electrons) and continues for a noticeable time after
these radiations have stopped.
History:
An early observation of fluorescence was described in 1560 by Bernardino de
Sahagún and in 1565 by Nicolás Monardes in the infusion known as lignum
nephriticum (Latin for "kidney wood"). It was derived from the wood of two tree
species, Pterocarpus indicus and Eysenhardtia polystachya. The chemical
compound responsible for this fluorescence is matlaline, which is the oxidation
product of one of the flavonoids found in this wood. In 1819, Edward D. Clarke
and in 1822 René Just Haüy described fluorescence in fluorites, Sir David
Brewster described the phenomenon for chlorophyll in 1833 and Sir John
Herschel did the same for quinine in 1845.
Priciple:
The principle of fluorescence and phosphorescence is Jablonski Diagram.
Jablonski diagram:
Aleksander Jablonski was a Polish academic who devoted his life to the
study of molecular absorbance and emission of light. He developed a written
representation that generally shows a portion of the possible consequences of
applying photons from the visible spectrum of light to a particular molecule.
These schematics are referred to as Jablonski diagrams.
Introduction:
A Jablonski diagram is basically an energy diagram, arranged with energy on a

vertical axis. Bold horizontal lines are representations of the limits of electronic
energy states. Within each electronic energy state are multiple vibronic energy
states that may be coupled with the electronic state. Usually only a portion of
these vibrational eigenstates are represented due to the massive number of
possible vibrations in a molecule. Each of these vibrational energy states can be
subdivided even further into rotational energy levels; however, typical Jablonski
diagrams omit such intense levels of detail. As electronic energy states increase,
the difference in energy becomes continually less, eventually becoming a
continuum that can be approach with classical mechanics. Additionally, as the
electronic energy levels get closer together, the overlap of vibronic energy levels
increases.
Singlet State: A state in which no unpaired electron is present.
Doublet state: A state in which one unpaired electron is present.
Triplet state: A state in which two unpaired electrons are present.

Absorbance:
The first transition in most Jablonski diagrams is the absorbance of a photon of a

particular energy by the molecule of interest. This is indicated by a straight arrow
pointing up. Absorbance is the method by which an electron is excited from a
lower energy level to a higher energy level. The energy of the photon is
transferred to the particular electron. That electron then transitions to a different
eigenstate corresponding to the amount of energy transferred. Only certain
wavelengths of light are possible for absorbance, that is, wavelengths that have
energies that correspond to the energy difference between two different
eigenstates of the particular molecule. Absorbance is a very fast transition, on
the order of 10-15 seconds. Most Jablonski diagrams, however, do not indicate a
time scale for the phenomenon being indicated. This transition will usually occur
from the lowest (ground) electronic state due to the statistical mechanical issue
of most electrons occupying a low lying state at reasonable temperatures. There
is a Boltzmann distribution of electrons within this low lying levels, based on the
the energy available to the molecules. This energy available is a function of the
Boltzmann's constant and the temperature of the system. These low lying
electrons will transition to an excited electronic state as well as some excited
vibrational state.
Vibrational Relaxation and Internal Conversion:
Once an electron is excited, there are a multitude of ways that energy may be
dissipated. The first is through vibrational relaxation, a non-radiative process.
This is indicated on the Jablonski diagram as a curved arrow between vibrational
levels. Vibrational relaxation is where the energy deposited by the photon into the
electron is given away to other vibrational modes as kinetic energy. This kinetic
energy may stay within the same molecule, or it may be transferred to other
molecules around the excited molecule, largely depending on the phase of the
probed sample. This process is also very fast, between 10-14 and 10-11
seconds. Since this is a very fast transition, it is extremely likely to occur
immediately following absorbance. This relaxation occurs between vibrational
levels, so generally electrons will not change from one electronic level to another
through this method.
Internal Conversion occurs because of the overlap of vibrational and

electronic energy states. As energies increase, the manifold of vibrational and
electronic eigenstates becomes ever closer distributed. At energy levels greater
than the first excited state, the manifold of vibrational energy levels strongly
overlap with the electronic levels. This overlap gives a higher degree of
probability that the electron can transition between vibrational levels that will
lower the electronic state. Internal conversion occurs in the same time frame as
vibrational relaxation, therefore, is a very likely way for molecules to dissipate
energy from light perturbation. However, due to a lack of vibrational and
electronic energy state overlap and a large energy difference between the
ground state and first excited state, internal conversion is very slow for an
electron to return to the ground state. This slow return to the ground state lets
other transitive processes compete with internal conversion at the first
electronically excited state. Both vibrational relaxation and internal conversion
occur in most perturbations, yet are seldom the final transition
Intersystem Crossing:
Yet another path a molecule may take in the dissipation of energy is called
intersystem crossing. This where the electron changes spin multiplicity from an
excited singlet state to an excited triplet state. It is indicated by a horizontal,
curved arrow from one column to another. This is the slowest process in the
Jablonski diagram, several orders of magnitude slower than fluorescence. This
slow transition is a forbidden transition, that is, a transition that based strictly on
electronic selection rules should not happen. However, by coupling vibrational
factors into the selection rules, the transition become weakly allowed and able to
compete with the time scale of fluorescence. Intersystem crossing leads to
several interesting routes back to the ground electronic state. One direct
transition is phosphorescence, where a radiative transition from an excited triplet
state to a singlet ground state occurs. This is also a very slow, forbidden
transition. Another possibility is delayed fluorescence, the transition back to the
first excited singlet level, leading to the emitting transition to the ground electronic
state.

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Submitted to: Prof. Dr.

Phosphorescence is the luminescence that is caused by the absorption of

A Jablonski diagram is basically an energy diagram, arranged with energy on a

Singlet State: A state in which no unpaired electron is present.

Doublet state: A state in which one unpaired electron is present.

Triplet state: A state in which two unpaired electrons are present.

The first transition in most Jablonski diagrams is the absorbance of a photon of a

Internal Conversion occurs because of the overlap of vibrational and

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