Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of the chloranil radical anion: ultrafast relaxation of electronically excited electron acceptor states

The spectroscopy and dynamics of near-threshold excited states of the isolated chloranil radical anion are investigated using photoelectron imaging. The photoelectron images taken at 480 nm clearly indicate resonance-enhanced photodetachment via a bound electronic excited state. Time-resolved photoelectron imaging reveals that the excited state rapidly decays on a timescale of 130 fs via internal conversion. The ultrafast relaxation dynamics of excited states near threshold are pertinent to common electron acceptor molecules based on the quinone moiety and may serve as doorway states that enable efficient electron transfer in the highly exergonic inverted regime, despite the presence of large free energy barriers.