Excited state structure of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile studied by femtosecond mid-infrared spectroscopy and ab initio calculations

Combining femtosecond transient vibrational spectroscopy and high-level calculations is a powerful tool in the determination of excited-state structures. Striking differences in the experimental vibrational pattern of the locally excited states of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN) and 4-aminobenzonitrile (ABN) are explained on the basis of molecular structures obtained from ab initio complete-active-space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) calculations, giving evidence for a strong sensitivity of the molecular structure on modest changes in the substituents. The 4.0 ps charge-transfer time for DMABN in acetonitrile is resolved for the first time by tracking the downshifted CN stretching mode.