A Theory of Nonequilibrium States of Quadrupole Molecules in Polar Solvents: The Electron Transfer Symmetry Breaking
Abstract Nonequilibrium states of excited quadrupole molecules in polar solvents are described. The energy profile of a molecule and the polar medium interacting with it is determined along the collective coordinate characterizing the degree of medium polarization. It is shown that the transition from the initial state of a molecule with a symmetric charge distribution generated by a pulse of optical excitation to an asymmetric state does not require activation, so it must occur during solvent relaxation timescale.