Mechanism of the Non-Kasha Fluorescence in Pyrene

The high-energy shoulder in the gas-phase fluorescence emission spectrum of pyrene is a well-known example of non-Kasha emission. We comparatively assess two approaches, vibronic perturbation theory and nonadiabatic dynamics, in their ability to predict and explain the gas-phase fluorescence spectrum of pyrene. While both methods qualitatively capture the non-Kasha emission, they differ in their computational requirements, accuracy, and physical interpretation. Vibronic perturbation theory and nonadiabatic dynamics are complementary and can be combined in a two-step approach to non-Kasha fluorescence.