Polymeric porphyrin and metalloporphyrin assemblies in bulk solution

Some water-soluble porphyrins aggregate in aqueous media to form fibrous assemblies. When polynucleotides are used as matrices, porphyrin monomers are aligned at the periphery or intercalated. Porphyrin-porphyrin interactions hardly occur. Metal-metal or metal-ligand-metal interactions have been observed in oxo-oligomers, pyrazine-bridged dimers and radical dimers. β-Substituted metallo-porphyrins, however, form no polymers. The only linear polymerization, which has so far been observed in molecular asemblies, occurs with amphiphilic porphyrin amides, amines and carboxylates and their metal complexes in water and of bacteriochlorophyll in DMF/water. These compounds form long-lived high molecular weight micellar, inverse micellar and vesicular fibers spontaneously in aqueous media. The porphyrin fibers in water are about 4-6 nm thick and up to several of μm long.     

Self-organized monolayer assemblies of octopusporphyrins: photoinduced electron transfer and O 2 coordination in aqueous media

Bolaamphiphilic tetraresorcinolporphyrins with eight long side chains (octopusporphyrins) and their metal complexes form monolayered assemblies in bulk aqueous solution. The nano-structure, the photoinduced electron transfers and the O₂ coordination of these octopusporphyrin assemblies are described. In the micellar fibers of 1a and 1b, a unique spherical arrangement of eight methyl groups on both sides of the porphyrin ring plane provides hydrophobic porphyrin centers which align in a string of pearls. Exciton calculations indicated a tilt stacking porphyrins arrangement with a separation of 11 Å. These fibers fluoresced strongly; electron transfer reaction was therefore observed between the porphyrin center and hydrophobic quenchers as well as hydrophilic quenchers. The fibers were also active as photocatalysts in the reduction of dimethylviologen by triethanolamine. Octopusporphyrins with different metal centers can also produce fibrous aggregates, for example, H₂P/Zn(II)P and Zn(II)P/Fe(III)P couples. The fluorescence quenching of Zn(II)P in the Zn(II)P/Fe(III)P hybrid fibers can be ascribed to the intermolecular electron transfer within the fibers. In H₂P/Zn(II)P couple, excitation energy transfer from excited Zn¹*P to H₂P occurred after photoexcitation. Octopusporphyrin with four dialkylglycerophosphocholine groups on both sides of the ring plane ( 2b ) forms spherical unilamellar vesicles. Based on cryomicroscopy, a white line was observed with a diameter of 15 Å in the middle of the membrane which are obviously a porphyrin layer with low molecular packing. The octopusheme ( 2c ) vesicles prepared in a similar manner with 20-fold excess molar coexistence of 1-dodecyl-2-methylimidazole (DMIm) can bind and release oxygen reversibly at 25°C. Moreover, water-soluble octopusporphyrin ( 3a ) produced fluorescent and non-fluorescent monolayer assemblies by anion exchange of the head groups, e.g. 3a with sodium perchlorate showed planar sheets. An exciton calculation is consistent with a two-dimensional arrangement with porphyrin separations of 25.6 and 17.4 Å in the x- and y-directions, respectively. External addition of negatively charged electron acceptors, naphtoquinone sulfonate and anthraquinone sulfonate, led to partial quenching of the fluorescence of the central porphyrin layer. The results have been evaluated using equations derived for this special quenching. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physical chemistry of porphyrins and their interactions with membranes: the importance of pH

The physicochemical properties of dicarboxylic porphyrins are examined with particular emphasis on acid-base equilibria. Interactions with membranes appear to be dominated by the charge of the propionic acid chains and the hydrophobic character of other peripheral substituents. A physicochemical basis for the effect of pH on the incorporation of porphyrins within membranes is given. The effect of lowered tumour pH on the incorporation of porphyrins within membranes and on porphyrin retention is discussed.     

Recent advances in photoinduced electron transfer processes of fullerene-based molecular assemblies and nanocomposites

Photosensitized electron-transfer processes of fullerenes hybridized with electron donating or other electron accepting molecules have been surveyed in this review on the basis of the recent results reported mainly from our laboratories. Fullerenes act as photo-sensitizing electron acceptors with respect to a wide variety of electron donors; in addition, fullerenes in the ground state also act as good electron acceptors in the presence of light-absorbing electron donors such as porphyrins. With single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), the photoexcited fullerenes act as electron acceptor. In the case of triple fullerene/porphyrin/SWCNT architectures, the photoexcited porphyrins act as electron donors toward the fullerene and SWCNT. These mechanisms are rationalized with the molecular orbital considerations performed for these huge supramolecules. For the confirmation of the electron transfer processes, transient absorption methods have been used, in addition to time-resolved fluorescence spectral measurements. The kinetic data obtained in solution are found to be quite useful to predict the efficiencies of photovoltaic cells.     

Carbon nanotubes with covalently linked porphyrin antennae: photoinduced electron transfer

Single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been covalently functionalized with free-base porphyrin. The quantity of porphyrin linked to the surface was determined from thermogravimetric and UV-vis analysis. A reversible protonation equilibrium between the attached porphyrin and the residual acid groups of the carbon nanotubes has been identified. Steady-state fluorescence emission spectrum of the solutions of porphyrin-linked carbon nanotubes shows that the porphyrins act as energy absorbing and electron transferring antennae, and the carbon nanotubes act as efficient electron acceptors. The porphyrin-linked carbon nanotubes show 95-100% emission quenching, indicating a fast photoinduced electron transfer.     

Spectral and flash kinetic studies of water-soluble zinc porphyrins in poly-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone matrix

A series of water-soluble zinc porphyrins, ZnTPPS, ZnTPPC and ZnTPPOH, have been synthesized. Their absorption, emission, singlet and triplet state quenching by electron acceptors like MV²⁺ and 1,5-AQDS²⁻ have been studied in homogeneous aqueous solutions and bound to a PVP matrix. Binding constants for the systems under study do not vary much and give a low value for ΔG⁰ = −13.37 kJ M⁻¹. However, the number of monomer units required for binding any individual porphyrin species varies with the size of the molecule. It appears that these water-soluble porphyrins are embedded in hydrophobic pockets in the polymer matrix and are only partially available to outside quenchers like MV²⁺ and 1,5-AQDS²⁻. From flash photolysis studies, formation of porphyrin radical cations and quencher anions is observed. Porphyrin cations are long-lived and are also formed on self-quenching and by disproportionation reactions in the absence of quencher. ZnTPPOH behaves differently.     

A charge-transfer challenge: combining fullerenes and metalloporphyrins in aqueous environments

A series of truly water-soluble C(60)/porphyrin electron donor-acceptor conjugates has been synthesized to serve as powerful mimics of photosynthetic reaction centers. To this end, the overall water-solubility of the conjugates was achieved by adding hydrophilic dendrimers of different generations to the porphyrin moiety. An important variable is the metal center of the porphyrin; we examined zinc(II), copper(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), iron(III), and manganese(III). The first insights into electronic communication between the electron donors and the electron acceptors came from electrochemical assays, which clearly indicate that the redox processes centered either on C(60) or the porphyrins are mutually affected. Absorption measurements, however, revealed that the electronic communication in terms of, for example, charge-transfer features, remains spectroscopically invisible. The polar environment that water provides is likely to be a cause of the lack of detection. Despite this, transient absorption measurements confirm that intramolecular charge separation processes in the excited state lead to rapid deactivation of the excited states and, in turn, afford the formation of radical ion pair states in all of the investigated cases. Most importantly, the lifetimes of the radical ion pairs were found to depend strongly on several aspects. The nature of the coordinated metal center and the type of dendrimer have a profound impact on the lifetime. It has been revealed that the nature/electronic configuration of the metal centers is decisive in powering a charge recombination that either reinstates the ground state or any given multiplet excited state. Conversely, the equilibrium of two opposing forces in the dendrimers, that is, the interactions between their hydrophilic regions and the solvent and the electronic communication between their hydrophobic regions and the porphyrin and/or fullerene, is the key to tuning the lifetimes.     

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.     

PORPHYRIN-LIPID INTERACTIONS AT THE AIR-WATER INTERFACE IN SPREAD MONOLAYERS. A FLUORESCENCE STUDY.

In membrane systems, carboxylic porphyrins may interact with both the lipid pseudophase and the adjacent aqueous environment through their hydrophobic core and their polar acid chains, respectively. These interactions are monitored in model membrane systems, i.e. spread monolayers of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine as functions of lipid organization and pH of the aqueous subphase using steady state and time resolved fluorescence techniques. In all cases contact between porphyrin and aqueous subphase, as indicated through quenching by I^-, is observed at low surface pressure. This contact decreases and becomes almost insignificant as the monolayer approaches maximum organization through compression. On deprotonation of the monocarboxylic porphyrin, methylpyrroporphyrin, increased contact with water is observed in liquid compressed monolayers. In liquid expanded layers, however, it appears that organization of lipid molecules surrounding this dissymmetric charged form affords some isolation from water. The effect of esterification of carboxylic chains is also examined.     

Synthesis of "Porphyrin-linker-Thiol" molecules with diverse linkers for studies of molecular-based information storage

The attachment of redox-active molecules such as porphyrins to an electroactive surface provides an attractive approach for electrically addressable molecular-based information storage. Porphyrins are readily attached to a gold surface via thiol linkers. The rate of electron transfer between the electroactive surface and the porphyrin is one of the key factors that dictates suitability for molecular-based memory storage. This rate depends on the type and length of the linker connecting the thiol unit to the porphyrin. We have developed different routes for the preparation of thiol-derivatized porphyrins with eight different linkers. Two sets of linkers explore the effects of linker length and conjugation, with one set comprising phenylethyne units and one set comprising alkyl units. One electron-deficient linker has four fluorine atoms attached directly to a thiophenyl unit. To facilitate the synthesis of the porphyrins, convenient routes have been developed to a wide range of aldehydes possessing a protected S-acetylthio group. An efficient synthesis of 1-(S-acetylthio)-4-iodobenzene also has been developed. A set of porphyrins, each bearing one S-acetyl-derivatized linker at one meso position and mesityl moieties at the three remaining meso positions, has been synthesized. Altogether seven new aldehydes, eight free base porphyrins and eight zinc porphyrins have been prepared. The zinc porphyrins bearing the different linkers all form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold via in situ cleavage of the S-acetyl protecting group. The SAM of each porphyrin is electrochemically robust and exhibits two reversible oxidation waves.     

Characterisation of Nanohybrids of Porphyrins with Metallic and Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes by EPR and Optical Spectroscopy

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are noncovalently functionalised with octaethylporphyrins (OEPs) and the resulting nanohybrids are isolated from the free OEPs. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of cobalt(II)OEP, adsorbed on the nanotube walls by π–π‐stacking, demonstrates that the CNTs act as electron acceptors. EPR is shown to be very effective in resolving the different interactions for metallic and semiconducting tubes. Moreover, molecular oxygen is shown to bind selectively to nanohybrids with semiconducting tubes. Water solubilisation of the porphyrin/CNT nanohybrids using bile salts, after applying a thorough washing procedure, yields solutions in which at least 99 % of the porphyrins are interacting with the CNTs. Due to this purification, we observe, for the first time, the isolated absorption spectrum of the interacting porphyrins, which is strongly red‐shifted compared to the free porphyrin absorption. In addition a quasi‐complete quenching of the porphyrin fluorescence is also observed.     

Photoinduced electron transfer at liquid|liquid interfaces: dynamics of the heterogeneous photoreduction of quinones by self-assembled porphyrin ion pairs

The initial stages of the heterogeneous photoreduction of quinone species by self-assembled porphyrin ion pairs at the water|1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface have been studied by ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy and dynamic photoelectrochemical measurements. Photoexcitation of the water-soluble ion pair formed by zinc meso-tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (ZnTPPS(4)(-)) and zinc meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (ZnTMPyP(4+)) leads to a charge-separated state of the form ZnTPPS(3)(-)-ZnTMPyP(3+) within 40 ps. This charge-separated state is involved in the heterogeneous electron injection to acceptors in the organic phase in the microsecond time scale. The heterogeneous electron transfer manifests itself as photocurrent responses under potentiostatic conditions. In the case of electron acceptors such as 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ), and tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TCBQ), the photocurrent responses exhibit a strong decay due to back electron transfer to the oxidized porphyrin ion pair. Interfacial protonation of the radical semiquinone also contributes to the photocurrent relaxation in the millisecond time scale. The photocurrent responses are modeled by a series of linear elementary steps, allowing estimations of the flux of heterogeneous electron injection to the acceptor species. The rate of electron transfer was studied as a function of the thermodynamic driving force, confirming that the activation energy is controlled by the solvent reorganization energy. This analysis also suggests that the effective redox potential of BQ at the liquid|liquid boundary is shifted by 0.6 V toward positive potentials with respect to the value in bulk DCE. The change of the redox potential of BQ is associated with the formation of hydrogen bonds at the liquid|liquid boundary. The relevance of this approach toward modeling the initial processes in natural photosynthetic reaction centers is briefly discussed.     

Porphyrin effects on zwitterionic HPS micelles as investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)

In this work, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on the interaction of three anionic mesotetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrins, TPPS4, FeTPPS4, and ZnTPPS4, at concentrations in the 2-10 mM range, with micelles of the zwitterionic surfactant 3-(N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium) propane sulfonate (HPS, 30 mM) at pH 4.0 and 9.0 are reported. The SAXS results demonstrate that, upon addition of all species of porphyrins, the HPS micelle of prolate shape reduces its axial ratio from 1.8 +/- 0.2 (in the absence of porphyrin) to 1.5 +/- 0.1. Such an effect is accompanied by a shrinking of the paraffinic shortest semiaxis from 22.5 +/- 0.5 A to 18.0 +/- 0.2 A. This shows that the micellar hydrophobic core is affected by porphyrin incorporation, independent of the type of porphyrin and pH. Concurrently, EPR results demonstrate an increase in the micellar packing as noticed from the increase in motional restriction for both nitroxides. Furthermore, increase of the porphyrin concentration induces the appearance of a repulsive interference function over the SAXS curve of zwitterionic micelles, which is typical of an interaction between surface-charged micelles. Such a finding gives strong evidence that the negatively charged porphyrin molecule must accommodate in the HPS micelle dipole layer close to the inner positive charges (near the hydrophobic core), inducing a surface charge (probably a negative one associated with the HPS sulfonate external groups) in the original zwitterionic (overall neutral) micelle. Such a porphyrin location is favored by both electrostatic and hydrophobic contributions, giving rise to binding constant values that are quite large compared to the binding of cationic drugs to HPS micelles (Caetano, W.; Barbosa, L. R. S.; Itri, R.; Tabak, M. J. Coll. Int. Sci. 2003, 260, 414).     

Interactions of dicarboxylic porphyrins with membranes in relation to their ionization state

The interactions of dicarboxylic porphyrins with membrane systems are discussed with particular emphasis on the effect of the charge of the porphyrin and the nature of the side-chains. The incorporation of hematoporphyrin or related dicarboxylic porphyrins within small unilamellar vesicles as membrane models is favored by a decrease of the pH in the range of physiological pH values. This effect might play an important role in the retention of porphyrins by tumors, which are more acidic than normal tissues. Kinetics studies also show that the partition of the porphyrin between the lipidic bilayer and the aqueous phase is governed by its release rate rather than by its incorporation rate.     

Sequential energy and electron transfer in aggregates of tetrakis[oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)] porphyrins and C60 in water

Chiral aggregation of oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)-functionalized Zn and free-base porphyrins is observed in water. The formation of mixed assemblies containing both porphyrins results in sequential energy transfer from OPV via zinc porphyrin to free-base porphyrin. Furthermore, the incorporation of C60 as electron acceptor yields a charge separated state by ultimate electron transfer.     

Water-soluble zinc porphyrins as artificial receptors for amino acids

The binding of amino acids to water-soluble zinc porphyrins in basic aqueous solution was spectrophotometrically analyzed. The amino acids were bound to the porphyrins through the coordination of the N atom with the central zinc ion. Additional attractions arise due to Coulomb interactions between the -COO(-) anion of the amino acids and the -N(CH(3))(3)(+) cation of the porphyrin substituents and due to hydrophobic interactions between the porphyrin plane and the hydrophobic substituents of the amino acids. These attractions could be explained based on the binding data. The compensatory relationships of DeltaS and DeltaH were also discussed.     

The synthesis of covalently linked tetraarylporphyrin dimers

A new and general synthesis of porphyrin dimers is described. The synthesis involves the reaction of dibromoalkanes with phenolic porphyrins, such as 5(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tritolylporphyrin, to form σ-bromoalkyl porphyrin ethers. The latter compounds are then reacted with a second phenolic porphyrin to give porphyrin dimers. A mixed metalloporphyrin dimer has been prepared which contains both V(IV) and Cu(II). The compounds have been examined spectroscopically. The free-base porphyrin dimers show a splitting of the intense Soret band. This is interpreted as indicative of weak singlet energy transfer between the covalently linked porphyrins.     

519—Reduction of hydrophobic porphyrin at the octane/water interface controlled by the specific adsorption of halogen anions

The redox reaction between the ferric complex of hydrophobic porphyrin and sodium dithionite in two different phases occurring at the interface between two immiscible liquids has been investigated by Volta potential measurements and spectroscopy. The reduction of the ferric complex of hydrophobic porphyrin adsorbed at the interface was found to be accompanied by a potential shift in the negative direction and to depend significantly on the nature of the anion and the ionic strength of the supporting electrolyte. Specifically adsorbed halogen anions inhibited the redox reaction in the sequence: Cl^?, Br^?, I^?. Depending on pH, the ferric complex of hydrophobic porphyrin exists in the uncharged (FeP-O-PFe) form or in the cation FeP⁺ form. The interaction between the ferric complex hydrophobic porphyrin and water has also been investigated.     

Spectroscopic Studies of water-soluble porphyrins with protein encapsulated in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles: aggregation versus complexation

We have investigated the interaction of two water-soluble free-base porphyrins (negatively charged meso-tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin sodium salt (TSPP) and positively charged meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMpyP)) with two drug-carrier proteins (human serum albumin (HSA) and beta-lactoglobulin (betaLG)) in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane/water reverse micelles (RM) by using steady-state and transient-state fluorescence spectroscopy. TSPP exhibited a complex pattern of aggregation on varying the RM size and pH in the absence of the protein: at low omega0 (the ratio of water concentration to AOT concentration, the emission of H-aggregates prevails under acidic or neutral "pH(ext)" conditions. Upon formation of the water-pool, J-aggregates and monomeric diacid species dominate at low "pH(ext)" but only monomer is detected at neutral "pH(ext)". The aggregation number increases with omega0 and the presence of the protein does not seem to contribute to further growth of the aggregate. The presence of protein leads to H-deaggregation but promotes J-aggregation up to a certain protein/porphyrin ratio above which, complexation with the monomer bound to a hydrophobic site of the protein prevails. The effective complex binding constants are smaller than in free aqueous solution; this indicates a weaker binding in these RM probably due to some conformational changes imposed by encapsulation. Only a weak quenching of TMpyP fluorescence is detected due to the presence of protein in contrast to the negative porphyrin.     

Benzylic modifications of meso-alkyl-substituted porphyrins via oxidation with DDQ

The reactions at the benzylic positions of meso-alkyl-substituted porphyrins have been achieved via the reaction with DDQ in the presence of alcohol or water for the first time, and ethenyl porphyrins from methoxylated porphyrins and an acetoxy porphyrin from the hydroxyl porphyrin were prepared.