Effects of meso-diarylamino group of porphyrins on optical and electrochemical properties

Abstract

Introduction of an electron-donating meso-diarylamino group into a porphyrin core affords its broadened and red-shifted absorption and raises the HOMO level of the porphyrin. In this regard, porphyrins with multiple meso-diarylamino groups are expected to show unique optical and electrochemcial properties depending on the number of the meso-diarylamino groups. Herein, we report a series of porphyrins with a different number of the meso-diarylamino groups. They were prepared by the iodine(III)-mediated oxidative amination reaction of the corresponding meso-free porphyrins. With increasing the number of the meso-diarylamino groups, both red shifts and broadening in the absorption and negative shifts in the oxidation potential were observed. Notably, the oxidation potential of the porphyrin with four meso-diarylamino groups is comparable to that of tetrathiafulvalene, which is one of representative electron donors, suggesting the potential utility of multiply meso-aminated porphyrins as hole-transporting materials and as electron donors forming charge-transfer complexes with electron acceptors. We believe that this study sheds light on porphyrins with multiple electron-donating groups as organic functional materials.