Photoprocesses in covalently linked pyrochlorophyllide dimer: Triplet state formation and opening and closing of hydroxylic linkages.

Covalently linked pyrochlorophyllide a dimers exist in solution in either "pinned" or unfolded form, depending on the concentration of hydroxylic (H bonding) or non-H-bonding Lewis bases. Laser flash photolysis studies have been made on these dimer forms and on pyrochlorophyllide monomer at 30-nsec resolution. Spectra and recovery kinetics, including observation of both the triplet decay and ground state folding reactions, show that the flash transient obtained from the pinned form consists of a triplet and ground state moiety in the unpinned configuration. A charge-transfer excited state is not seen.