Excitation-Wavelength-Dependent Photophysics of a Torsionally Disordered Push-Pull Dye

The torsional disorder of conjugated dyes in the electronic ground state can lead to inhomogeneous broadening of the S₁ ←S₀ absorption band, allowing for the selective photoexcitation of molecules with different amounts of distortion. Here, we investigate how this affects electronic transitions to upper excited states. We show that torsion of a core-alkynylated push-pull dye can have opposite effects on the oscillator strength of its lowest-energy transitions. Consequently, photoselection of planar and twisted molecules can be achieved by exciting in distinct absorption bands. Whereas this has limited effect in liquids due to fast planarization of the excited molecules, it strongly affects the overall photophysics in a polymeric environment, where torsional motion is hindered, allowing for the photoselection of molecules with different fluorescence quantum yields and intersystem-crossing dynamics.