Abstract
The intramolecular proton transfers of 2-hydroxy-4,5-naphthotropone in room temperature solutions are studied using static and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy. Dual normal and tautomer fluorescence is observed in ethanol solution, while only the tautomer fluorescence is observed in cyclohexane solution. The fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields in ethanol and cyclohexane solutions indicate that in hydrocarbon solvents, rapid intersystem crossing competes with proton transfer in the first excited singlet state. Transient absorption spectra and kinetics indicate that proton transfer also undergoes in the first triplet state with a transfer time of ∼ 3 ns. No transient absorption from the tautomer ground state indicates a rapid back proton transfer in the ground state.