Highly conjugated multiporphyrins: synthesis, spectroscopic and electrochemical properties

A series of meso-to-meso ethynyl-bridged multiporphyrin arrays have been synthesized using Sonogoshira palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions involving the appropriate ethynylporphyrin and iodoporphyrin precursors. The absorption spectra of these multiporphyrins show splitting of the Soret bands and significant red shifts of the Q bands as compared to the combination of the corresponding components. These conjugated multiporphyrins also show red shifts in their emission spectra as the pi-conjugation is expanded. In the electrochemical measurements, the porphyrins dimer 7 shows two 1 - e- oxidations at E(1/2) = +0.63 and +0.76 V for the first electron abstraction from the two porphyrin rings, indicating electronic communication between the two porphyrin units. The porphyrin trimer 4 exhibits the first and second 1 - e- oxidations at E(1/2) = +0.68 and +0.77 V, respectively, which correspond to the two outer porphyrins. The cyclic voltammogram of pentamer 5 shows two overlapping 1 - e- couples at E(1/2) = +0.56 and +0.66 V, and one 2 - e- couple at E(1/2) = +0.86 V, for the four outer porphyrin units. These results demonstrate that in the porphyrin trimer and pentamer the individual peripheral porphyrin units are electrochemically coupled via a central porphyrin core. The UV-Vis-NIR spectra of the oxidized species of these multiporphyrins exhibit a broad intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) band in the region from 1200 to 3000 nm. The present work shows that a central porphyrin unit appended with ethynyl bridges affords strong electronic interactions between the peripheral porphyrin rings over a distance of about 15 A.     

Covalent Template-Directed Synthesis of a Spoked 18-Porphyrin Nanoring**

Rings of porphyrins mimic natural light-harvesting chlorophyll arrays and offer insights into electronic delocalization, providing a motivation for creating larger nanorings with closely spaced porphyrin units. Here, we demonstrate the first synthesis of a macrocycle consisting entirely of 5,15-linked porphyrins. This porphyrin octadecamer was constructed using a covalent six-armed template, made by cobalt-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of an H-shaped tolan with porphyrin trimer ends. The porphyrins around the circumference of the nanoring were linked together by intramolecular oxidative meso-meso coupling and partial β-β fusion, to give a nanoring consisting of six edge-fused zinc(II) porphyrin dimer units and six un-fused nickel(II) porphyrins. STM imaging on a gold surface confirms the size and shape of the spoked 18-porphyrin nanoring (calculated diameter: 4.7 nm).     

Construction of regulated nanospace around a porphyrin core

A series of 1,3,5-phenylene-based rigid dendritic porphyrins were synthesized by Suzuki coupling between a porphyrin core and dendron units. The intramolecular energy transfer was studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. The encapsulation of the porphyrin core within the 1,3,5-phenylene dendron units was found to provide highly efficient energy transfer from the dendron units to the porphyrin core. The dendritic wedge structure affected the energy transfer efficiency. The 1,3,5-phenylene-based rigid dendron units act as highly efficient light-harvesting antennae. These dendritic porphyrins have also been examined as C(60) hosts and substrate-selective oxidation catalysts. The attachment of the second generation of 1,3,5-phenylene-based dendron units with the porphyrin core enabled a stable inclusion of C(60) in toluene. Furthermore, the size and shape of the nanospace in the rigid dendritic porphyrins were found to affect the selectivity of substrates in the catalytic olefin oxidations.     

Three-photon absorption in anthracene-porphyrin-anthracene triads: a quantum-chemical study

We have applied correlated quantum-chemical methods to investigate the three-photon absorption (3PA) response of a porphyrin triad derivative, where the central macrocycle is linked in mesopositions to two anthracene units via acetylenic bridges. The 3PA frequency-dependent spectrum of this derivative is dominated by a single resonance feature in the transparent region, associated with charge-transfer states between porphyrin and anthracene. The calculations indicate a two order of magnitude enhancement in the 3PA cross section in the triad molecule with respect to the individual entities, which is attributed to close one-, two-, and three-photon resonances together with strong electronic couplings among the units.     

Energy migration in a self-assembled nonameric porphyrinic molecular box

We describe the construction of self-assembled double-decker porphyrin arrays built up from two covalently connected trimeric Zn-porphyrin units that are joined together by metal-coordination bonds with diamine ligands. We used three different types of diamine ligands: 1,4-diaza[2.2.2]bicyclooctane (DABCO), 4,4'-bipyridine (BIPY), and 5,15-bis(4-pyridyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin (DPYP). The ligands act as pillars, through two axial coordination bonds with the porphyrinic Zn(II) ions, to block the planes of the porphyrin units in an almost cofacial orientation and inducing the formation of a trigonal prismatic structure. The spectroscopic and photophysical properties of the Zn-trisporphyrin component were determined as well as those of the resulting multimolecular cagelike assemblies. The double-decker assembly with DPYP as the pillars constitutes a nonameric porphyrin aggregate. Although this assembly is thermodynamically less stable than those containing DABCO or BIPY, efficient photoinduced energy transfer occurs (96% yield) from the trisporphyrin base units to the DPYP side walls. The rate of the energy-transfer process is in good agreement with that calculated for a dipole-dipole (F?rster) mechanism corrected for the unfavorable orientation geometry of the donor and the axially bound acceptor.     

Spectroelectrochemical evidence for communication within a laterally-bridged dimanganese(III) bis-porphyrin

Electronic coupling between the porphyrin units of a laterally-bridged dimanganese(III) bis-porphyrin 2 is explored using electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry and resonance-Raman spectroscopy. It is found that strong electronic interactions between the manganese(III) ion and the porphyrin macrocycle enhance the perturbations experienced by these bis-porphyrin systems when compared to related monomer porphyrin systems. In turn this leads to effective electronic communication between the manganese ions in the bis-porphyrin. This finding has importance in the design of molecular wires based on laterally-bridged oligo-metallo-porphyrins.     

Use of a porphyrin platform and 3,4-HPO chelating units to synthesize ligands with N4 and O4 coordination sites

Piperazine and 1,2-diaminobenzene have been previously used as anchoring molecules to synthesize 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone (3,4-HPO) tetradentate ligands affording ligands with different flexibility and coordination properties. In order to have a relatively rigid and hindered structure, a porphyrin platform was selected to anchor one or two 3,4-HPO chelating units. This platform provides an additional N₄ coordination sphere and also very interesting optical properties to the synthesized conjugates. Depending on the metal ion present in the porphyrin core, conjugates with different spectroscopic properties are obtained. EPR spectroscopy has been used to characterize the copper(II) metalloporphyrins and to monitor and identify the species formed upon addition of copper(II) to solutions of two porphyrin conjugates with one and two 3,4-HPO arms. The porphyrin conjugates having two 3,4-HPO units are ligands that provide two separate binding sites with N₄ and O₄ coordination spheres, which allow accommodation of two metal ion centers that may be distinguished by spectroscopic methods.     

Liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry of porphyrin dimers: reduction reactions and structural characterisation

New synthesised porphyrin dimers, with an amide or ester linkage between the two porphyrin units, were studied using liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS). The formation of reduced species was observed for all the compounds and it was found that the extent of reduction is dependent on the matrix used and on the structure of the porphyrin dimer. The main fragmentation pathways lead to monomer fragments resulting from cleavage of the amide or ester linkage between the two porphyrin units. The consistency of the fragmentations for all the dimers studied leads to the proposal of a common designation for the fragment ions. LSIMS, in addition to molecular weight determination, can provide important structural information for this type of compound.     

A pentaporphyrin as a switching device activated by proton and redox stimuli.

A new pentaporphyrin array, constituted by a peptidic backbone and lateral chains with two free-base, one Mg(II), and two Zn(II) porphyrins, has been synthesized. The electrochemical and photophysical properties are not the mere superposition of those of its model compounds: slight shifts of the E(1/2) values and strong perturbation of both the Soret and Q-band absorption show substantial ground-state interactions among the component units, which take advantage of the rather flexible nature of the peptidic links. This multiporphyrin array, despite the flexible and nonconjugated nature of the peptidic spacers, plays the role of an antenna for visible light: an efficient photoinduced energy transfer takes place from the metalated porphyrin units to the free-base ones. Furthermore, the light emitted by the antenna can be: 1) tuned upon protonation of the free-base units, or 2) turned off by a redox input, since the formation of the Mg porphyrin radical cation, by either electrochemical or chemical methods, quenches the free-base porphyrin emission. Both quenching and tuning of the emission from the light-collecting center can be fully reverted by redox or chemical stimuli.     

Laterally-extended porphyrin systems incorporating a switchable unit

p-Quinone units incorporated into the central portion of rigid pi-systems linking either two porphyrin macrocycles or a porphyrin and a phenanthroline group have the potential to function as a chemically and electrochemically controllable switch, thus acting as a means of modulating electronic communication between the two end groups.     

A Five‐layer π‐Aromatic Structure Formed through Self‐assembly of a Porphyrin Trimer and Two Aromatic Guests

In this study we synthesized two‐ and four‐armed porphyrins – bearing two carboxyl and four 2‐aminoquinolino functionalities, respectively, at their meso positions – as a complementary hydrogen bonding pair for the self‐assembly of a D₂‐symmetric porphyrin trimer host. Two units of the two‐armed porphyrin and one unit of the four‐armed porphyrin self‐assembled quantitatively into the D₂‐symmetric porphyrin trimer, stabilized through ammidinium‐carboxylate salt bridge formation, in CH₂Cl₂ and CHCl₃. The porphyrin trimer host gradually bound two units of 1,3,5‐trinitrobenzene between the pair of porphyrin units, forming a five‐layer aromatic structure. At temperatures below ?40 °C, the rates of association and dissociation of the complexes were slow on the NMR spectroscopic time scale, allowing the 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes of the trimer host and trinitrobenzene guest(s) to be detected independently when using less than 2 eq of trinitrobenzene. Vis titration experiments revealed the values of K₁ (2.1±0.4×10⁵ M^?1) and K₂ (2.2±0.06×10⁴ M^?1) in CHCl₃ at room temperature.     

Four-way-branched DNA-porphyrin conjugates for construction of four double-helix-DNA assembled structures

[reaction: see text] DNA-porphyrin conjugates having four DNA strands were designed and synthesized. Four double helices were assembled using two DNA-porphyrin conjugates and their complementary strands, and the formation of the four double-helix assembled structures with the two DNA-porphyrin units was examined by gel electrophoresis and spectroscopic analysis. The interaction between two porphyrin chromophores in the complex was investigated by measurement of fluorescence lifetimes, and the singlet energy transfer between the two different phorphyrin units (Zn-porphyrin and H2-porphyrin) was observed. These results indicate that multiple and different porphyrin chromophores can be integrated into the DNA structures by programming the sequences of the DNA strands.     

Photoinduced Electron and Energy Transfer in Dyads of Porphyrin Dimer and Perylene Tetracarboxylic Diimide

Two compounds containing a porphyrin dimer and a perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) linked by phenyl ( 1 ) or ethylene groups ( 2 ) are prepared. The photophysical properties of these two compounds are investigated by steady state electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra and lifetime measurements. The ground state absorption spectra reveal intense interactions between the porphyrin units within the porphyrin dimer, but no interactions between the porphyirn dimer and PDI. The fluorescence spectra suggest efficient energy transfer from PDI to porphyrin accompanied by less efficient electron transfer from porphyrin to PDI. The energy transfer is not affected by the dimeric structure of porphyrin or the linkage between the porphyrin dimer and PDI. However, the electron transfer from porphyrin to PDI is significantly affected by either the linkage between the donor and the acceptor or the polarity of the solvents. The dimeric structure of the porphyrin units in these compounds significantly promotes electron transfer in nonpolar, but not in polar solvents.     

水体系中含卟啉基团的两亲高分子的自组装行为和性质的研究

在文中合成了两种不同的卟啉单体5-(4-acryloyloxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrinate zinc(Ⅱ)(ZnAOTCPP)和5-(4-acrylo-yloxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4-methoxycarboxylphenyl)porphyrinate zinc(Ⅱ)(ZnMeAOTCPP),它们分别与丙烯酰胺(Acrylamide,AM)聚合得到含有卟啉基团的两亲高分子.与对应的单体相比,含有三羧酸卟啉基团的高分子在水中形成了一个新的紫外吸收峰和一个新的荧光发射峰,而含有三羧酸甲酯卟啉基团的高分子除此之外在更长波的方向上还另外出现了一个新的紫外吸收峰和一个新的荧光发射峰.随着高分子水溶液浓度的提高,高分子中卟啉基团的光谱性质的变化趋势显示高分子在水中的自组装行为可以分为分子间缔合和分子内缔合的两种情况.此外,实验结果显示含有三羧酸甲酯卟啉基团的高分子相对于含有三羧酸卟啉基团的高分子更加有利于卟啉缔合物的形成.     

Assembly of Multi‐Phthalocyanines on a Porphyrin Template by Fourfold Rotaxane Formation

A stacked assembly composed of a porphyrin and two phthalocyanines was prepared through fourfold rotaxane formation. Two phthalocyanine molecules, bearing four 24‐crown‐8 units, were assembled onto a porphyrin template incorporating four sidechains with two dialkylammonium ions each through pseudorotaxane formation between crown ether units and ammonium ions. The Staudinger phosphite reaction, as the stoppering reaction, resulted in the formation of the stacked heterotrimer composed of a porphyrin and two phthalocyanines connected through a fourfold rotaxane structure. UV/Vis spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of the heterotrimer indicated that there is a significant electronic interaction between the two phthalocyanine units due to the close stacking. The electrochemical oxidation process of the stacked heterotrimer was studied by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of a dinuclear Cu^II complex, in which two Cu^II phthalocyanines were assembled on a metal‐free porphyrin template, revealed that two Cu^II phthalocyanines were located within the stacking distance, which resulted in an antiferromagnetic interaction between the two S= spins in the ground state of the Cu²⁺ ions in the heterotrimer.     

Chemical Stimulus‐responsive Folding and Unfolding of a Dendrimeric Assembly

A dendrimeric trimer undergoes folding and unfolding in response to a chemical stimulus. The trimer of interest contains a central dendrimer with a butadiyne‐linked zinc porphyrin dimer ((ZnP)₂) core, in addition to two terminal dendrimers with zinc porphyrin (ZnP) cores. The obtained absorption spectra indicate that the unfolded form is the exclusive conformer in chloroform, while the addition of 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) in chloroform leads to transformation from the unfolded to the folded structure containing two DABCO units per trimer; the folded structure originates from the cross‐linking of (ZnP)₂ and ZnP with DABCO. Moreover, the addition of excess DABCO promotes the generation of the unfolded structure containing four DABCO units.     

The synthesis and studies towards the self-replication of bis(capped porphyrins)

Connecting two facially-protected porphyrins was expected to lead to an equal mixture of laterally-bridged doubly-protected bis-porphyrins; one in which the two porphyrin units were protected on the same face (syn) and one with the two prophyrin units protected on opposite faces (anti). Addition of a co-factor (bidentate ligand) was expected to lead predominantly to the syn-bis-porphyrin by a templated self-replication process. This concept was explored using Baldwin's capped porphyrin. Bis(capped porphyrins) were synthesised in several steps starting from zinc(II) capped porphyrin 2. Nitration of 2 followed by reduction and photo-oxidation yields a mixture of zinc(II) porphyrindiones 7 and 8 that can separated by HPLC. The condensation of 2 molar eq. of zinc(II) porphyrin-7,8-dione 8 with 1,2,4,5-benzenetetramine leads to the formation of a 1:1 mixture of syn- and anti-dizinc(II) bis(7,8-capped porphyrins), 11 and 12, respectively, that have almost identical spectroscopic properties. These two geometric isomers were distinguished by significant differences in their molecular recognition properties. Likewise the syn- and anti-dizinc(II) bis(2,3-capped porphyrins), 9 and 10, respectively, are synthesised from the related zinc(II) capped porphyrin-2,3-dione 7, and were also identified using molecular recognition studies. The molecular recognition properties of these bis(capped porphyrins) were utilised in studies of self-replicating porphyrin systems. The results show that tetraazaanthraceno-bis-porphyrins 9-12 can catalyse their own formation but self-replication was not observed. These results highlight the potential that these interesting hosts have as templates in supramolecular chemistry, synthesis and catalysis.     

Self‐Sorting of Cyclic Peptide Homodimers into a Heterodimeric Assembly Featuring an Efficient Photoinduced Intramolecular Electron‐Transfer Process

We describe the thermodynamic characterisation of the self‐sorting process experienced by two homodimers assembled by hydrogen‐bonding interactions through their cyclopeptide scaffolds and decorated with Zn–porphyrin and fullerene units into a heterodimeric assembly that contains one electron‐donor (Zn–porphyrin) and one electron‐acceptor group (fullerene). The fluorescence of the Zn–porphyrin unit is strongly quenched upon heterodimer formation. This phenomenon is demonstrated to be the result of an efficient photoinduced electron‐transfer (PET) process occurring between the Zn–porphyrin and the fullerene units of the heterodimeric system. The recombination lifetime of the charge‐separated state of the heterodimer complex is in the order of 180 ns. In solution, both homo‐ and heterodimers are present as a mixture of three regioisomers: two staggered and one eclipsed. At the concentration used for this study, the high stability constant determined for the heterodimer suggests that the eclipsed conformer is the main component in solution. The application of the bound‐state scenario allowed us to calculate that the heterodimer exists mainly as the eclipsed regioisomer (75–90 %). The attractive interaction that exists between the donor and acceptor chromophores in the heterodimeric assembly favours their arrangement in close contact. This is confirmed by the presence of charge‐transfer bands centred at 720 nm in the absorption spectrum of the heterodimer. PET occurs in approximately 75 % of the chromophores after excitation of both Zn–porphyrin and fullerene chromophores. Conversely, analogous systems, reported previously, decorated with extended tetrathiafulvalene and fullerene units showed a PET process in a significantly reduced extent (33 %). We conclude that the strength (stability constant (K)×effective molarity (EM)) of the intramolecular interaction established between the two chromophores in the Zn–porphyrin/fullerene cyclopeptide‐based heterodimers controls the regioisomeric distribution and regulates the high extent to which the PET process takes place in this system.     

Coherence length determination of meso-meso linked porphyrin arrays based on forward-backward pair trajectory analysis

We investigated the excitation energy transfer process of meso-meso linked zinc(II) porphyrin arrays using the on-the-fly filtered propagator path integral method. Details of the dynamics such as coherence length of a porphyrin array are estimated by analysis of the characteristics of forward-backward pair trajectories. Upon examination of the convergence of the reduced density matrix with respect to the subset of Hilbert space trajectories, we determine the number of porphyrin units that form collective coherent states, that is, the coherence length. Simulation results show that the coherence length of zinc(II) porphyrin arrays is up to 4 units, which agrees excellently with experimental observations. On the other hand, the energy bias provided by the energy-accepting 5,15-bisphenylethynylated zinc(II) porphyrin reduces the degree of coherence which becomes negligible for an array with more than for porphyrin units. Considering conformational inhomogeneity, we found that the experimentally determined coherence length is the result of electronic and environmental influence rather than the structure disorder. Temperature dependence is also discussed.     

Dynamic combinatorial libraries of metalloporphyrins: templated amplification of disulfide-linked oligomers

Disulfide-linked cyclic porphyrin oligomers from dimer to tetramer can be selected and amplified virtually quantitatively from a dynamic combinatorial library using bis-thiol substituted zinc(II) porphyrin units with appropriate amine donor templates.