Identification of a totally charge separated state in completely rigid trichromophoric compounds

Abstract Two ‘triads’ 1 -syn and 1 -anti were investigated containing the same linear arrangement of two electron donors and an acceptor connected by fully rigid saturated hydrocarbon bridges. The systems differ in the relative orientation of the bridges and thereby in the distance between the terminal chromophores which is ≈ 14.9 and ≈ 19.4 A in the syn and anti isomer respectively. For both systems full charge separation between the terminal chromophores is shown to occur upon photoexcitation of the central donor chromophore, but the lifetime of this charge separation is dramatically longer in 1 -anti.