Stepwise versus pseudo-concerted two-electron-transfer in a triarylamine–iridium dipyrrin–naphthalene diimide triad

A triad based on triarylamine donors, an iridium dipyrrin sensitiser and a naphthalene diimide acceptor is investigated using fs-pump–probe spectroscopy at two different pump wavelengths. Excitation of the naphthalene diimide induces a stepwise electron transfer process that yields within ca. 100 ps a charge separated state with 50–60% quantum yield in which one triarylamine is oxidised and the imide is reduced. Although being in the Marcus normal region, this state has a lifetime of 580 ns in MeCN. Excitation at the dipyrrin ligand centred absorption directly produces the charge separated state within ca. 1 ns however without formation of an intermediate. This pseudo-concerted two-electron transfer step was analysed with the help of a model dyad and a modified triad and is interpreted to be caused by inverted electron transfer rates. Although being much slower the latter process has a quantum yield of practically 100%.