Time resolved energy transfer from electronically excited 3B3u pyrazine molecules to planar Ag and Au surfaces

The lifetime of 3B3u pyrazine near Ag surfaces has been measured down to a separation of ∼35 Å, where it has decreased by a factor of ∼600 from the isolated molecule value. There is no evidence for saturation of the energy transfer rate. The technique and apparatus are described. Numerical solutions to the classical double interface theory of energy transfer show energy transfer rates should be sensitive to adsorbed gas on top of the excited molecule.