Ultrafast Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Dynamics of 1-Hydroxyanthraquinone in Solution

Proton transfer reaction is one of the most fundamental processes in chemistry and life science. Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) has been studied as a model system of the proton transfer, since it can be conveniently initiated by light. We report ESIPT reaction dynamic of 1-hydroxy-anthraquione (1-HAQ) in solution by highly time-resolved fluorescence. ESIPT time of 1-HAQ is determined to be $45{\pm}10$ fs directly from decay of the reactant fluorescence and rise of the product fluorescence. High time resolution allows observation of the coherent vibrational wave packet motion in the excited state of the reaction product tautomer. The coherently excited vibrational mode involves large displacement of the atoms, which shortens the distance between the proton donor and the acceptor. With the theoretical analysis, we propose that the ESIPT of 1-HAQ proceeds barrierlessly with assistance of the skeletal vibration, which in turn becomes excited coherently by the ESIPT reaction.