Photochemical Reactors

Quantum yield measurements in mechanistic studies of photochemical reactions have been used to obtain information on the nature of excited states and their energies and in determination of kinetic parameters such as lifetimes of excited states and quenching rate constants. Quantitative studies of the efficiency of a photochemical reaction (usually expressed in terms of the quantum yield) under various conditions of temperature, solvent concentration, etc. can provide a clearer understanding on the reaction mechanism. In particular, bimolecular quenching experiments expressed by a kinetic treatment known as the Sterm-Volmer plot can give valuable information on the lifetime and reactivity of a triplet state, without the needs for direct methods of observation (i.e. flash photolysis and phosphorimetry).