Charge-transfer states, porphyrin studies

Quantum Mechanical Studies of Charge-Transfer States in Porphyrin Heterodimers... 

Zr(IV), and Ce(IV) as the central metal ion. Copper(II) porphyrins are among the most studied of the paramagnetic metalloporphyrins. The Cu(II) complexes show a low-temperature luminescence that arises from the and states that exist in thermal equilibrium. These two states are derived from the lowest excited triplet state on the porphyrin ring, which is split because of the presence of a unpaired electron on the Cu(II) center. Transient absorption measurements show that the ambient temperature excited-state decay times are lowered when a ligand is associated with the axial coordination positions of the tetracoordinate Cu(Il) porphyrin complex. The excited state lifetimes of Cu(II) porphyrin complexes in solution can be either dependent or independent of the temperature and solvent. For the octaethylporphyrin complex Cu(OEP) the excited state lifetime increases as the temperature is lowered, and also as the solvent polarity is increased. By contrast, the excited state lifetime of the tetraphenylporphyrin Cu(TPP) is insensitive to both the temperature and the polarity of the solvent. This difference in their photophysical behavior is likely due to a difference in the energy gap between the charge transfer state and the T/ T states in the pair of complexes. 

Moreover, supra-molecular systems involving crown ethers, fullerene and k-extended systems have been achieved that can mimic the photosynthetic process [9-14]. The fullerene Qo has been used successfully as an electron acceptor in the construction of model photosynthetic systems [9], the r-extended systems, such as porphyrins [12], phthalocyanines [13], r-extended tetrathiafulvalene (w -exTTF) derivatives [9,10], which are utilized as electron donors, while the crown ethers act as a bridge between the electron donor and acceptor. In the absorption spectrum of the complexes, the absorption maxima are associated experimentally and theoretically with the formation of charge-transfer states [14-16]. Consequently, these supramolecular systems have potential for applications in photonic, photocatalytic, and molecular optoelectronic gates and devices [9-14]. As a result, the study of the conformations and the complexation behavior of crown ethers and their derivatives are motivated both by scientific curiosity regarding the specificity of their binding and by potential technological applications. 

Aida et al. synthesised a dendritic zinc-porphyrin heptamer (7Pz -C60) with a fullerene terminal entity as an electron-transfer system, which harvests visible light for electron transfer to the fullerene group (Section 6.3.3.5). Electron transfer from the porphyrin to the fullerene gives rise to a charge-separated state (Pzn-Qo)> whose lifetime was the subject of investigation. Comparative studies... 

As mentioned above, the natural photosynthetic reaction center uses chlorophyll derivatives rather than porphyrins in the initial electron transfer events. Synthetic triads have also been prepared from chlorophylls [62]. For example, triad 11 features both a naphthoquinone-type acceptor and a carotenoid donor linked to a pyropheophorbide (Phe) which was prepared from chlorophyll-a. The fluorescence of the pyropheophorbide moiety was strongly quenched in dichloromethane, and this suggested rapid electron transfer to the attached quinone to yield C-Phe+-Q r. Transient absorption studies at 207 K detected the carotenoid radical cation (kmax = 990 nm) and thus confirmed formation of a C+-Phe-QT charge separated state analogous to those formed in the porphyrin-based triads. This state had a lifetime of 120 ns, and was formed with a quantum yield of about 0.04. The lifetime was 50 ns at ambient temperatures, and this precluded accurate determination of the quantum yield at this temperature with the apparatus employed. 

A relative of 12 has been prepared by Sanders, van der Plas, and coworkers [64], Triad 13 features an N,A-dimethylaniline-type donor and an anthraquinone acceptor. These moieties are linked to the ortho positions of the porphyrin aryl groups, and this leads to a folded conformation for the molecule, as determined from NMR studies. Both the free base and zinc derivatives of 13 were prepared. The folded conformation might be expected to facilitate electron transfer among the components of the triad, and while this could enhance the quantum yield of the initial charge separated state, it might unfavorably affect the yield of the final D+-P-QT state and its lifetime. Unfortunately, photochemical or spectroscopic studies were not reported. 

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