Excited state structural dynamics in higher lying electronic states: S2 state of malachite green

The S2 fluorescence of malachite green is measured with sub 100 fs time resolution. Ultrafast spectral dynamics in the S2 state preceding S2 decay are resolved. Measurements in different solvents show that these sub 100 fs dynamics are insensitive to medium polarity and viscosity. They are thus assigned to ultrafast structural evolution between the S2 Franck–Condon and equilibrium configurations.