Investigations of bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions in polar solvents using ultrafast spectroscopy

Several controversial questions in the field of bimolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions in polar solvents are first briefly reviewed. Results obtained in our group using ultrafast spectroscopy and giving a new insight into these problems will then be described. They concern the driving force dependence of the charge separation distance, the formation of the reaction product in an electronic excited state, the absence of normal region for weakly exergonic charge recombination processes and the excitation wavelength dependence of the CR dynamics of donor–acceptor complexes.