Intra- and intermolecular electron transfer reactions in covalently linked donor-acceptor molecules

We synthesized a homologous series of molecules (MVnn'Q) where a methylviologen (MV2+) and an amino-chloronaphthoquinone (Q) are linked to each other via a flexible chain. Using the electron pulse radiolysis technique, we have measured time-resolved spectra and determined rate constants for intra- and intermolecular electron transfer (ET) between donor and acceptor site of the MVnn'Q molecules in water and in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar solution. For comparison, we also irradiated a solution containing a 1:1 mixture of methylviologen and amino-chloronaphthoquinone and measured spectra and intermolecular ET reactions between the separated electron donor and acceptor molecules. We found a remarkably slow intramolecular electron transfer from the reduced methylviologen moiety to the quinone site of all MVnn'Q molecules both in water and in aqueous SDS micellar suspensions. The intramolecular rate constants measured in water increase with the number of intervening bonds, leading to the conclusion that electron transfer occurs by a through-space rather than through-bond mechanism. The intramolecular rate constants virtually lose their chain length dependence in SDS suspensions where, because of an extended configuration of the micellized MVnn'Q molecules, through-space interaction is not favored. (orig.)