Excited States in Solid Phenothiazine as Studied by Electroabsorption Spectroscopy

Electric field modulated absorption spectra of vapor deposited layers of phenothiazine, explained in terms of a quadratic Stark effect, indicate modification of intramolecular (Frenkel-type) excitons by charge transfer transitions throughout UVIS absorption spectrum in the range 250-450 nm. The charge transfer character of the excited states appears at energies characteristic of various oxidation products of phenothiazine as identified from a spectroscopic study of photochemical air oxidation, performed on solution and solid film samples of this compound. The charge transfer transitions are ascribed to electron transfer between the molecules of phenothiazine and their oxidized species created in the samples during preparation and handling procedures.