ʹFractional heatingʹ differential scanning calorimetry: a tool to study energetics and kinetics of solid-state reactions in photoactive systems with distributed parameters Original Research Article

The technique of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), used in measurements of thermal effects accompanying solid-state chemical reactions, can be regarded as a thermally stimulated method. Model calculations demonstrate the applicability of the DSC technique in determining parameters controlling the kinetics of solid-state reactions. In particular, it has been shown that the fractional heating technique can be successfully used to analyse DSC curves in case of distributions of kinetic parameters. The method was employed to obtain information about the parameters controlling a thermally driven reaction following UV illumination of photoactive 1-methyl-2,4,4,6-tetraphenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine. Two peaks on DSC curves were distinguished, probably corresponding to different processes associated with reactions responsible for the bleaching of the coloured material. The activation energy and the pre-exponential factor of at least one of them were determined.