Dexter electron transfer is a quenching mechanism in which an excited electron state transfers from one molecule (a donor) to a second molecule (an acceptor). This process requires a wavefunction overlap between the donor and acceptor, which means it can only occur at short distances; typically of the order 15-20 Å. The excited state may be exchanged in a single step, or in two separate charge exchange steps.
The Dexter energy transfer rate, is indicated by the proportionality
where is the separation of the donor from the acceptor, is the sum of the Van der Waals radii of the donor and the acceptor, and is the spectral overlap integral defined by
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