Porphyrin Acceptor Research Articles

Singlet oxygen generation via two-photon excited FRET.

A new approach to two-photon excited photodynamic therapy has been developed. A dendritic array of eight donor chromophores capable of two-photon absorption (TPA) was covalently attached to a central porphyrin acceptor. Steady-state fluorescence measurements demonstrated that the donor chromophores transfer excited-state energy to the porphyrin with 97% efficiency. Two-photon excitation of the donor chromophores at 780 nm resulted in a dramatic increase in porphyrin fluorescence relative to a porphyrin model compound. Enhanced singlet oxygen luminescence was observed from oxygen-saturated solutions of the target compound under two-photon excitation conditions.

Selection and amplification of mixed-metal porphyrin cages from dynamic combinatorial libraries.

Mixed metallo-porphyrin cages were selected and amplified from dynamic combinatorial libraries (DCLs) by using appropriate templates. The cages are composed of two bisphosphine substituted zinc(II) porphyrins as ligand donors and two rhodium(III) or ruthenium(II) porphyrins as ligand acceptors, and are connected through metal-phosphorus coordination. Ru and Rh porphyrins that display a large structural diversity were employed. The templating was achieved by using 4,4'-bpy, 3,3'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridine and benzo[lmn]-3,8-phenanthroline, and acts through zinc-nitrogen coordination. The absolute amount of amplification from the DCLs is strongly dependent on the combination of the Ru/Rh porphyrin and the template; cages with sterically demanding porphyrins can only form with smaller templates. In the case of tert-butyl-substituted TPP (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin), cages are not formed at all. The formation of the cages is usually complete within 24 h at an ambient temperature; in the case of the cage containing Rh(III)OEP (OEP=octaethylporphyrin) and bpy, the pseudo-first-order rate constant of cage formation was determined to be 2.1+/-0.1x10(-4) s(-1) (CDCl(3), 25 degrees C). Alternatively, heating the mixtures to 65 degrees C and cooling to room temperature yields the cages within minutes. The (1)H NMR chemical shifts of several characteristic protons show large differences upon changing the identity of the Ru/Rh porphyrin and the central metal; this is most likely to arise from variations in the geometry of the cages. The X-ray crystal structure of a cage, which contains Rh(III)OEP as a porphyrin acceptor and bpy as template, demonstrates that the cages can adopt severely distorted conformations to accommodate the relatively short templates. An extension to mixed DCLs showed that only limited selectivity is displayed by the various templates. Formation of mixed cages that contain two different rhodium porphyrins prevents effective selection, although the kinetic lability of the systems allows for some amplification. This lability, however, also prevents isolation of the individual cages. Removal of the template leads to re-equilibration, thus the templates act as scaffolds to keep the structures intact.

Construction of multiporphyrin arrays using ruthenium and rhodium coordination to phosphines.

The synthesis of linear multiporphyrin arrays with mono- and bisphosphine-substituted porphyrins as ligand donors and ruthenium(II) or rhodium(III) porphyrins as ligand acceptors is described. With appropriate amounts of the building blocks mixed, linear dimeric and trimeric arrays have been synthesized and analyzed by (1)H NMR and (31)P NMR spectroscopy. The Ru/Rh acceptor porphyrins can be located either at the periphery or in the center of the array. Likewise, the monophosphine porphyrins can be positioned at the periphery, thus allowing a high degree of freedom in the overall composition of the arrays. This way, both donor and acceptor porphyrins can act as chain extenders or terminators. One of the trimeric complexes with two nickel and one ruthenium porphyrin has also been analyzed by X-ray crystallography. Attempts have also been made to synthesize higher order arrays by mixing appropriate amounts of the porphyrins; however, from the NMR data it cannot be concluded if monodisperse five, seven, or nine porphyrin arrays are present or if the solutions are composed of a statistical mixture of smaller and larger arrays.

Perhalogenated porphyrins as a sink of excitation energy in porphyrin heterodimers

The photophysics of a new family of free-base and zinc derivatives of meso- tetraphenylporphyrin heterodimers have been studied by UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and nanosecond flash photolysis techniques. An almost complete (≈99%) and directionally controlled transfer of excitation energy from a donor porphyrin moiety was obtained by multiple bromination (four and eight Br substituents in the two series of compounds investigated) on the β-pyrrole positions of the acceptor porphyrin molecule. The covalently linked porphyrin dimers populate almost exclusively low energy triplet states because of the extremely efficient intramolecular singlet-to-triplet inter system crossing (ISC) process which is enhanced by the multiple heavy atoms substitutions. The nature of the electronic interactions determining the actual relaxation pathway followed by the porphyrin donor-acceptor pair is discussed.

ChemInform Abstract: A New Synthetic Route to Donor—Acceptor Porphyrins.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Long-range electron transfer in porphyrin-containing [2]-rotaxanes: tuning the rate by metal cation coordination.

A series of [2]-rotaxanes has been synthesized in which two Zn(II)-porphyrins (ZnP) electron donors were attached as stoppers on the rod. A macrocycle attached to a Au(III)-porphyrin (AuP+) acceptor was threaded on the rod. By selective excitation of either porphyrin, we could induce an electron transfer from the ZnP to the AuP+ unit that generated the same ZnP*+-AuP* charge-transfer state irrespective of which porphyrin was excited. Although the reactants were linked only by mechanical or coordination bonds, electron-transfer rate constants up to 1.2x10(10) x s(-1) were obtained over a 15-17 A edge-to-edge distance between the porphyrins. The resulting charge-transfer state had a relatively long lifetime of 10-40 ns and was formed in high yield (>80%) in most cases. By a simple variation of the link between the reactants, viz. a coordination of the phenanthroline units on the rotaxane rod and ring by either Ag+ or Cu+, we could enhance the electron-transfer rate from the ZnP to the excited 3AuP+. We interpret our data in terms of an enhanced superexchange mechanism with Ag+ and a change to a stepwise hopping mechanism with Cu+, involving the oxidized Cu(phen)22+ unit as a real intermediate. When the ZnP unit was excited instead, electron transfer from the excited 1ZnP to AuP+ was not affected, or even slowed, by Ag+ or Cu+. We discuss this asymmetry in terms of the different orbitals involved in mediating the reaction in an electron- and a hole-transfer mechanism. Our results show the possibility to tune the rates of electron transfer between noncovalently linked reactants by a convenient modification of the link. The different effect of Ag+ and Cu+ on the rate with ZnP and AuP+ excitation shows an additional possibility to control the electron-transfer reactions by selective excitation. We also found that coordination of the Cu+ introduced an energy-transfer reaction from 1ZnP to Cu(phen)2+ (k = 5.1x10(9) x s(-1)) that proceeded in competition with electron transfer to AuP+ and was followed by a quantitative energy transfer to give the 3ZnP state (k = 1.5x10(9) x s(-1)).

A new synthetic route to donor–acceptor porphyrins

Some new donor–acceptor porphyrins have been prepared based on a metallated bis(ethynyl) porphyrin core. 4-(Dimethylamino)phenyl was used as the donor group and 4-nitrophenyl, 4-cyanophenyl and 5-nitrothiazoyl as the acceptor groups. Dipyrrylmethane was used for large scale porphyrin ring synthesis because the absence of methylene substituents reduces the difficulty of substituent scrambling that occurs during porphyrin synthesis.

Temperature and viscosity dependence of the triplet energy transfer process in porphyrin dimers.

The temperature and viscosity dependence of the triplet energy transfer (TET) process in porphyrin dimers has been studied. A zinc porphyrin (donor) and a free base porphyrin (acceptor) are covalently linked together by rigid bridging chromophores at a center-center distance of 25 A. Due to the large donor-acceptor distance and the weakness of the spin forbidden transitions involved, neither direct (through space) electron exchange nor Coulombic mechanisms are expected to contribute to the observed TET process. The results from transient absorption measurements at temperatures between room temperature and 80 K show that TET occurs with unexpectedly high efficiency in the systems connected by fully conjugated bridges and a pronounced temperature dependence of the process is observed. Comparison of the TET efficiencies in dimers connected by different bridging chromophores correlates well with a transfer reaction governed by a through bond exchange (superexchange) interaction. However, in high viscosity media the TET process is dramatically slowed down. This is attributed to a conformational gating of the TET process where the electronic coupling varies strongly with the relative orientation of the donor and the bridging chromophore. Further, the zinc porphyrin donor offers two distinct donor species, T(1A) and T(1B). At room temperature, the TET rate constant of the T(1A) species is about two orders of magnitude larger than for the T(1B) species. The dimers studied are well suited model systems for materials where the rate of the transfer reactions can be changed by external stimuli.

Modified windmill porphyrin arrays: coupled light-harvesting and charge separattion, conformational relaxation in the S1 state, and S2-S2 energy transfer.

The architecture of windmill hexameric zinc(II) -porphyrin array 1 is attractive as a light-harvesting functional unit in view of its three-dimensionally extended geometry that is favorable for a large cross-section of incident light as well as for a suitable energy gradient from the peripheral porphyrins to the meso-meso-linked diporphyrin core. Three core-modified windmill porphyrin arrays 2-4 were prepared for the purpose of enhancing the intramolecular energy-transfer rate and coupling these arrays with a charge-separation functional unit. Bisphenylethynylation at the meso and meso' positions of the diporphyrin core indeed resulted in a remarkable enhancement in the intramolecular S1-S1 energy transfer in 2 with tau=2 approximately 3 ps, as revealed by femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The fluorescence lifetime of the S2 state of the peripheral porphyrin energy donor determined by the fluorescence up-conversion method was 68 fs, and thus considerably shorter than that of the reference monomer (150 fs), suggesting the presence of the intramolecular energy-transfer channel in the S2 state manifold. Such a rapid energy transfer can be understood in terms of large Coulombic interactions associated with the strong Soret transitions of the donor and acceptor. Picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectra and transient absorption spectra revealed conformational relaxation of the S1 state of the diporphyrin core with tau = 25 ps. Upon photoexcitation of models 3 and 4, which bear a naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide or a meso-nitrated free-base porphyrin attached to the modified diporphyrin core as an electron acceptor, a series of photochemical processes proceeded, such as the collection of the excitation energy at the diporphyrin core, the electron transfer from the S1 state of the diporphyrin to the electron acceptor, and the electron transfer from the peripheral porphyrins to the diporphyrin cation radical, which are coupled to provide a fully charge-separated state such as that in the natural photosynthetic reaction center. The overall quantum yield for the full charge separation is better in 4 than in 3 owing to the slower charge recombination associated with smaller reorganization energy of the porphyrin acceptor.

Enhanced intersystem crossing in donor/acceptor systems based on zinc/iron or free-base/iron porphyrins.

The deactivation pathways of the singlet excited state of a series of zinc or free-base donor porphyrins covalently linked by a bridge to a paramagnetic iron(III) chloride porphyrin acceptor have been studied. These donor-bridge-acceptor systems all share a similar geometry (25 A donor-acceptor center-to-center distance), but the bridges vary in electronic structure. In previously reported investigations of zinc/iron porphyrin systems, the fluorescence quenching of the donor has predominantly been assigned to electron transfer. However, for the porphyrin systems studied in this paper, we show that the dominant deactivation channels are enhanced intersystem crossing and singlet energy transfer. In both series, the intersystem crossing rate (S1-->T1) of the donor moiety is almost doubled in the presence of a paramagnetic high-spin metal-porphyrin acceptor. The significant spectral overlap of the donor fluorescence and acceptor absorption in both series allows for efficient singlet energy transfer (Forster mechanism). Furthermore, the bridging chromophores mediate energy transfer and the enhancement is inversely dependent upon the energy gap between the donor and bridge excited states. Although Marcus theory predicts thermodynamically favorable electron transfer to occur in the systems investigated, the quenching rate constants were found to be independent of solvent polarity, and no charge-separated state could be detected, indicating very small electronic coupling for electron transfer.

Porphyrin Core Star Polymers: Synthesis, Modification, and Implication for Site Isolation

Porphyrin Core Star Polymers: Synthesis, Modification, and Implication for Site Isolation

Intramolecular Energy Transfer in a Covalently Linked Copper(II) Porphyrin−Free Base Porphyrin Dimer: Novel Spin Polarization in the Energy Acceptor

The excitation wavelength dependence of time-resolved EPR is used to demonstrate the pathway of intramolecular energy transfer in a covalently linked copper(II)−free base porphyrin dimer. Spin polarized spectra are presented for selective excitation of both the copper(II) porphyrin donor (at 540 nm) and the free base porphyrin acceptor (at 640 nm) at 50 and 80 K. In all cases the observed spectra are assigned to the triplet state of the free base which is coupled weakly to the copper ground state doublet. The polarization pattern generated by selective excitation of the free base half is indicative of intersystem crossing (ISC), whereas excitation of the copper(II) half gives an eaa/eea polarization pattern. The latter is rationalized in terms of energy transfer via the lowest excited trip−quartet state of the copper(II) moiety, followed by selective depopulation from the spin states with doublet character in the weakly coupled free base triplet-copper doublet system. This leads to a spectrum which resemb...

Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer in covalently linked porphyrin–triptycene–(bis)quinone diads and triads

Intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (ET) in porphyrin–quinone diads and porphyrin–quinone(Q A)–quinone(Q B) triads was investigated in different solvents by means of picosecond fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy. Charge separation rates (5×10 9 s −1 to >1×10 11 s −1) and charge recombination rates are presented and discussed in terms of the Marcus theory. The free enthalpy of the ET compounds varies from 0.52 to 1.2 eV, which led to ET in the normal and inverted region. It is shown that porphyrin–triptycene– bis-quinones have to be considered as an acceptor unit, rather than two separated quinone acceptors, due to their electronic coupling. The data show that in the triads, intramolecular photoinduced ET to either the first or the second quinone occurs depending on the energetics of the compounds, which are influenced by the different bridges between donor and acceptor. There is therefore no indication of sequential ET from the porphyrin to one quinone and subsequently to the other. The results are discussed in comparison with previously described investigations of related porphyrin–acceptor–acceptor compounds in the literature.

Anthryloligothienylporphyrins: Energy Transfer and Light-Harvesting Systems

In the new trichromophoric supermolecule 1, a quantitative intramolecular energy transfer (>98 %) occurs from the anthracene donor to the emitting porphyrin acceptor through the oligothiophene chain after selective UV excitation of anthracene. Energy-transfer properties and fluorescence quantum yields are independent of the oligothiophene chain length. Attachment of further anthrylquinquethienyl chromophores to the porphyrin ring results in an increase in the intensity of characteristic absorption and fluorescence bands.

Construction of One‐Dimensional Multicomponent Molecular Arrays: Control of Electronic and Molecular Motions

Transition metals are powerful three-dimensional templates, which can gather various functionalized ligands and orient them in a precise fashion so that complex multicomponent molecular systems can be obtained without constructing covalently-assembled edifices. The compounds thus prepared exhibit precise chemical or physical functions, which are governed by the design of the system. The construction of one-dimensional molecules around ruthenium(II) or osmium(II), using rigid ligands attached to the desired electroactive species, leads to systems that are able to undergo charge separation after photonic excitation. In other related compounds, a ruthenium(II)-based chromophore is, for example, connected to an osmium(II) complex by means of rod-like bridging ligand, thereby ensuring strict control over the Ru···Os distance. By tuning the length and the electronic properties of the bridge, one can control the efficiency of the electronic energy transfer between the two chromophores. In particular, the use of a bis-cyclometallating ligand is very conducive to energy transfer and allows the observation of this process up to a Ru…Os distance of ≈20 A. By combining the building blocks of these inorganic systems with appropriate porphyrins, long-range (centre-to-centre distance between the donor and the acceptor porphyrins ≈30 A) and relatively long-lived photoinduced charge separation has been demonstrated. Finally, with copper(I) as the template, compounds of the rotaxane family are obtained, which consist of a coordinating ring threaded by a string-like component. If this acyclic fragment is end-functionalized by two bulky stoppering groups and if it incorporates two different coordination sites (a bi- and a terdentate chelate site), novel dynamic properties are observed. The movement of a given fragment of the molecule is triggered by changing the metal oxidation state. This one-dimensional motion of the ring along the string on which it is threaded is controlled by redox manipulation, resulting in a primitive molecular machine.

Stereoelectronic Aspects of Inter-Metal Nitrogen Atom Transfer Reactions between Nitridomanganese(V) and Chromium(III) Porphyrins

Reactions of nitridomanganese(V) porphyrins with chromium(III) porphyrins resulted in the irreversible formation of nitridochromium(V) porphyrins and manganese(III) porphyrins. The progress of these reactions has been followed spectrophotometrically, electrochemically, and spectroscopically by EPR. Kinetic analysis of the spectrophotometric data obtained during these reactions for a variety of substituted porphyrins showed the reactions to be first order in each of the reactants. Rate constants were dependent upon the electronic and steric effects of the porphyrin substituent, upon the identity of the anion bound to the chromium(III) reactant, and upon the solvent dielectric constant. We propose that the mechanism of these nitrogen atom transfer reactions involves the nucleophilic attack of the nitridomanganese porphyrin donor on the cationic chromium(III) porphyrin acceptor facilitating a net, two-electron redox process mediated by a heterobimetallic μ-nitrido intermediate. This report represents the first systematic study of the stereoelectronic effects involved in the complete, inter-metal nitrogen atom transfer between two metalloporphyrins.

Molecular modelling of electron transfer systems by noncovalently linked porphyrin–acceptor pairing

In the respiratory system, electron carriers such as ubiqui-none and cytochrome c play an important role in the electron transfer (ET) reaction between oxidoreductases embedded in the mitochondrial membrane. This review focuses on a strategy for constructing porphyrin–electron acceptor pairs via specific interactions and the evaluation of ET in these systems. Particularly, the molecular recognition of ubiqui-none analogues by porphyrin host molecules and the mimicking of protein–protein complexation using myoglobin reconstituted with a synthetic porphyrin are reviewed, and the characteristics of the photoinduced ET within noncovalently linked complexes are discussed.

A transition metal ion assembled catenane bearing linearly-arranged donor and acceptor porphyrins

A new bis(porphyrin) has been synthezised in which a catenane is used as a spacer between the two chromophores, the donor and acceptor porphyrins being located as pendant groups, arranged linearly on each side of the catenane core.

Metalloporphyrins for Quadratic Nonlinear Optics

CuII- and ZnII-based donor−acceptor porphyrins have been examined for second-order nonlinear optics using the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique at 1064 nm. Introduction of the metal ions enhances...

Intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer in fixed distance triads consisting of free-base porphyrin, zinc porphyrin, and electron acceptor

Intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer reaction of a series of fixed distance triads consisting of free-base porphyrin, zinc porphyrin, and quinone or pyromellitimide have been investigated by means of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and picosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The singlet excited state of the distal free-base porphyrin was found to be quenched by the attached electron acceptor at 298 K in THF and at 77 K in EPA, indicating long distance electron transfer from the free-base porphyrin to the acceptor. However, long-lived charge separated states were not formed in these model compounds.