The deuterium effect on electrochemiluminescence efficiencies of anthracene and phenanthrene

The effect of deuteration on the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) efficiencies of the mixed systems containing anthracene or phenathrene has been examined using the single light pulse in the double potential programme. Deuteration of anthracene or phenanthrene decreases the ECL efficiencies by factors of 1·2-16·0. This decrease appears to arise from the quenching of the triplets by radical ions in solution. The quenching factors are estimated by using Marcus theory of electron transfer reactions