Three-dimensionally arranged windmill and grid porphyrin arrays by AgI-promoted meso-meso block oligomerization

Stacks of Metalloporphyrins: Comparison of Experimental and Computational Results

Numerous metalloporphyrin stacks have been synthesized and studied. Electronic interactions between constituent metalloporphyrins are able to determine the structures and properties of porphyrin arrays. In 2016, Co(II)-, Cu(II)-, Pt(II)-, and Zn(II)-porphyrins were shown to pack to form dimers as well as trimers. Porphyrin rings were found to strongly overlap with lateral shifts between ring centers. However, no binding energies and electronic structures of these stacks have been reported. We have performed first computational study of the dimers of Co(II)-, Cu(II)-, and Zn(II)-porphyrins, both in vacuum and in two implicit solvents. For all three stacks the configurations with strong overlap of the metalloporphyrin rings with lateral shifts between ring centers were found to be the global minimum structures, ¹A for [ZnP]₂ and ³A for [CuP]₂ and [CoP]₂. Also, open-shell singlets with the same energy or close-lying in energy were found for [CuP]₂ and [CoP]₂. The binding energies were calculated to be significant, from ca. -13 to -39 kcal/mol (gas phase, depending on the computational approach). The computational results showed quite good agreement with the experimental data. The dimers were found to be bound by strong bonding combinations of the monomer MOs which explained significant binding energies computed for the dimers. The shifted dimer configurations could be explained by the way how the monomer MOs preferably overlap.

The sequential structure of tripyridiniumylporphyrin pendants in water-soluble copolymers and their association behaviour with tetrasulfonatophenylporphyrin guests: UV-vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra study

A novel cationic tripyridiniumylporphyrin monomer, 5-[4-[2-(acryloyloxy)ethoxy]phenyl]-l0,l5,20-tris(N-methyl-4-pyridiniumyl)porphyrinate zinc(ii) (ZnTrMPyP), was synthesized, and its self-aggregation in water was studied by UV-vis absorption. The monomer was copolymerized with acrylamide in water and DMSO, respectively, to prepare the water-soluble polymers P-W and P-D. The aggregation behaviour of the copolymers in aqueous solution was investigated by UV-vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra. The polymer P-D displayed very similar absorption and emission spectra to those of ZnTrMPyP in water, indicating that the polymer chains in P-D have no significant effect on the aggregate structure of ZnTrMPyP in aqueous media. In comparison, two new absorption bands appeared in the Q band range of polymer P-W and its fluorescence spectra red shifted and the fluorescence quantum yield decreased obviously. These characteristics remained unchanged even in a good solvent for the monomer, suggesting that a new aggregation structure for the porphyrin pendants fixed by the covalent bond was formed. According to the different dispersed states of the porphyrin monomer in water and DMSO, the porphyrin pendants should distribute randomly in the P-D polymer chains while having micro-blocky sequences in polymer P-W. The association behaviour between the copolymers and tetra(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin, TSPP, bearing opposite charged substituents were studied by absorption and emission Spectra and further analyzed by the Benesi–Hildebrand and the Stern–Volmer methods. The results showed that relatively discrete porphyrin pendants in P-D formed a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex with TSPP and both static and dynamic mechanisms were active in this quenching process, while the tightly associated porphyrin pendants in P-W interacted with TSPP as an entirety and static quenching was dominant in this process. This observation was in accordance with their sequential structure. The polymer P-W has a wider absorption range and higher absorption intensity in the long wavelength region than the porphyrin monomer, which can more efficiently absorb light to accomplish light harvesting in water.

Water-soluble random and micro-blocky copolymers P(ZnTrMPyP-AM) were prepared and the porphyrin pendants on them associate with anionic porphyrins in different manner.

Highlight on the solution processes occurring on silver(i)-assembling porphyrins in the presence of an excess of silver salt

Coordination cages obtained upon complexation of pyridyl functionalized porphyrins by Ag⁺ disassemble when overtaking a 1 : 2 stoichiometric amount of silver salt. An excess of Ag⁺ then leads to unusual chemical processes, here analyzed in detail, which permanently transform the monomeric porphyrins. The observed processes, discussed with reference to model compounds devoid of polyether substituted pyridyl residues, evidence a peculiar reactivity for meso 2,6-dimethylphenyl substituted porphyrins.

Computational design of ZnP(P)4 stacks: Three modes of binding

A large variety of metalloporphyrin arrays, including stacks, have been synthesized and extensively explored for their numerous applications in molecular devices. Motivated by the phenomenon of formation of stacks by regular metalloporphyrins, we performed the computational check of the stack formation between the MP(P)4 species without any linkers or substituents. For this we chose the ZnP(P)4 species as the simplest MP(P)4 compound. Three modes of binding or coordination were found to be possible between the monomeric ZnP(P)4 units. The “convexity-to-convexity” dimer I generally is the most stable compound with the highest binding energy. The dimers II and III are generally bound significantly weaker than the “convexity-to-convexity” dimer I. In the dimer I, the strongly convex shape of both monomer units was demonstrated. The Zn–Zn distances in the dimer I, ca. 3.5[Formula: see text]Å, were computed to be significantly shorter than in two other dimers. This could lead to additional interactions between the metal centers with unpaired d-electrons involved in the formation of such a dimer. In the dimer I significant decrease of the charge was found on the Zn-centers, along with slight decrease of the positive charge on the P-centers coordinated to the Zn-centers of another monomer, and slight buildup of the positive charge on the P-centers not coordinated to the Zn-centers of another monomer.

A novel self-assembly with horizontal anchor porphyrin for supramolecular solar cells

Novel horizontal anchor zinc porphyrin assemblies via zinc-to-ligand axial coordination approach immobilized on TiO₂ electrode surface have been impressive increased photoelectric conversion efficiency in supramolecular solar cell.

Recent advances towards azobenzene-based light-driven real-time information-transmitting materials

Photochromic switches that are able to transmit information in a quick fashion have attracted a growing interest within materials science during the last few decades. Although very fast photochromic switching materials working within hundreds of nanoseconds based on other chromophores, such as spiropyranes, have been successfully achieved, reaching such fast relaxation times for azobenzene-based photochromic molecular switches is still a challenge. This review focuses on the most recent achievements on azobenzene-based light-driven real-time information-transmitting systems. Besides, the main relationships between the structural features of the azo-chromophore and the thermal cis-to-trans isomerisation, the kinetics and mechanism are also discussed as a key point for reaching azoderivatives endowed with fast thermal back-isomerisation kinetics.

Cyclodipeptide-bridged porphyrin dimer supramolecular assemblies

A cyclodipeptide-bridged porphyrin dimer has formed fibrous and toroidal multi-porphyrin array systems by hydrogen bonding-mediated self-assembly.

Discrete cyclic porphyrin arrays as artificial light-harvesting antenna

The importance of photosynthesis has driven researchers to seek ways to mimic its fundamental features in simplified systems. The absorption of a photon by light-harvesting (antenna) complexes made up of a large number of protein-embedded pigments initiates photosynthesis. Subsequently the many pigments within the antenna system shuttle that photon via an efficient excitation energy transfer (EET) until it encounters a reaction center. Since the 1995 discovery of the circularly arranged chromophoric assemblies in the crystal structure of light-harvesting antenna complex LH2 of purple bacteria Rps. Acidophila, many designs of light-harvesting antenna systems have focused on cyclic porphyrin wheels that allow for efficient EET. In this Account, we review recent research in our laboratories in the synthesis of covalently and noncovalently linked discrete cyclic porphyrin arrays as models of the photosynthetic light-harvesting antenna complexes. On the basis of the silver(I)-promoted oxidative coupling strategy, we have prepared a series of extremely long yet discrete meso-meso-linked porphyrin arrays and covalently linked large porphyrin rings. We examined the photophysical properties of these molecules using steady-state absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence anisotropy decay, and transient absorption measurements. Both the pump-power dependence on the femtosecond transient absorption and the transient absorption anisotropy decay profiles are directly related to the EET processes within the porphyrin rings. Within these structures, the exciton-exciton annihilation time and the polarization anisotropy rise time are well-described in terms of the Forster-type incoherent energy hopping model. In noncoordinating solvents such as CHCl(3), meso-pyridine-appended zinc(II) porphyrins and their meso-meso-linked dimers spontaneously assemble to form tetrameric porphyrin squares and porphyrin boxes, respectively. In the latter case, we have demonstrated the rigorous homochiral self-sorting process and efficient EET along these cyclic porphyrin arrays. The meso-cinchomeronimide appended zinc(II) porphyrin forms a cyclic trimer. We have also shown that the corresponding meso-meso-linked diporphyrins undergo high-fidelity self-sorting assembling to form discrete cyclic trimer, tetramer, and pentamer with large association constants through perfect discrimination of enantiomeric and conformational differences of the meso-cinchomeronimide substituents. Collectively, these studies of covalently and noncovalently linked discrete cyclic porphyrin arrays aid in the understanding of the structural requirements for such very fast EET in natural light-harvesting complexes.

The role of aromaticity and the pi-conjugated framework in multiporphyrinic systems as single-molecule switches

A systematic analysis of electron-transport characteristics for monomer, dimer, and tetramer multiporphyrinic systems is presented, to provide a thorough understanding of the structural dependence of electron transport related to the aromatic nature of the contact structure. Theoretical investigation shows that the electron-transport characteristics can be controlled by manipulating the pi-conjugated framework in the multiporphyrinic systems through the arrangement of the inner hydrogen atoms. The designed pi-conjugated framework assigns the distinct aromaticity on the contact structure, and the large aromatic nature of the contact structure increases conductivity. The feature emerging from this study is that the aromaticity and pi-conjugated framework are important factors that control the electron-transport characteristics in molecular-scale electronic devices, such as single-molecule switches.

A Hexagonal Prismatic Porphyrin Array: Synthesis, STM Detection, and Efficient Energy Hopping in Near-Infrared Region

A belt-shaped hexagonal cyclic porphyrin array 2 that comprises of six meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins 3 bridged by 1,3-phenylene spacers is prepared by oxidation from cyclic dodecameric array 1 consisting of six meso-meso directly linked diporphyrins 4 with DDQ and Sc(OTf)3. The absorption spectrum of 2 is similar to that of the constituent subunit 3 but shows a slight red-shift for the Q-bands in near-infrared (NIR) region, indicating the exciton coupling between the neighboring diporphyrin chromophores. Observed total exciton coupling energies in the absorption spectra were largely matched with the calculated values based on point-dipole exciton coupling approximation. It was found that the experimental exciton coupling strength (292 cm(-1)) of the Q-band in 2 is slightly larger than the calculated one (99 cm(-1)), indicating that the electronic communications are enhanced through 1,3-phenylene linkers in hexameric macromolecule. A rate of the excitation energy hopping (EEH) that occurs in 2 at the lowest excited singlet state in the near-infrared region has been determined to be (1.8 ps)(-1) on the basis of the pump-power dependent femtosecond transient absorption (TA) and the transient absorption anisotropy (TAA) decay measurements. The 2 times faster EEH rate of 2 than that of 1 (4.0 ps)(-1) mainly comes from involving through-bond energy transfer among diporphyrin subunits via 1,3-phenylene bridges as well as Förster-type through-space EEH processes. STM measurement of 2 in the Cu(100) surface revealed that it takes several discrete conformations with respect to the relative orientation of neighboring diporphyrins. Collectively, an effective EEH in the NIR region is realized in 2 due largely to the intensified oscillator strength in the S(1) state (Q-band) and the close proximity held by 1,3-phenylene spacers.

Multistate/multifunctional switches based on photochromic Schiff base

The salicylidene Schiff base derivative, namely, N-salicylidene-(S)-alpha-naphthylethylamine (SNEA) has been synthesized to study the characterization of multistate/multifunctional switches. Upon the stimulations of optical inputs (UV light and visible light) and chemical inputs (pH and Zn(2+)), SNEA undergoes reversible photochromism, deprotonation and complexation reactions. In this case, four chemical species are involved. These interconversions of SNEA between four states have been systematically investigated by the absorption and the emission spectra. Spectroscopic studies indicate that the photochromic switch, pH switch and fluorescent switch can be realized using the single molecular entity of SNEA.

A Directly Fused Tetrameric Porphyrin Sheet and Its Anomalous Electronic Properties That Arise from the Planar Cyclooctatetraene Core

Oxidation of a directly meso-meso linked cyclic porphyrin tetramer 2 gave a porphyrin sheet 3. The symmetric square structure of 3 is indicated by its simple 1H NMR spectrum that exhibits only two signals for the porphyrin beta-protons. The absorption spectrum of 3 displays characteristic Soret-like broad bands and weak Q-bands, and its magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectrum exhibits a negative Faraday A term at the 762 nm band as a rare case, indicating the absorption as a transition from a nondegenerate level to a degenerate level. A slightly longer S1-state (1.1 ps) and smaller TPA cross section (2750 GM) than a tetrameric linear porphyrin tape also indicate its unique electronic properties. The porphyrin sheet 3 forms stable 1:2 complexes with guest molecules G1 and G2, whose 1H NMR spectra exhibit remarkable downfield shifts for the guest protons that are located just above the cyclooctatetraene (COT) core of 3, whereas the imidazolyl protons bound to the zinc(II) porphyrin local cores are observed at slightly upfield positions. These results have been qualitatively accounted for in terms of the presence of a strong paratropic ring current around the COT core that propagates through the whole pi-electronic network of 3, hence competing with and cancelling the weak diatropic ring currents of the local zinc(II) porphyrins. This explanation was supported by DFT calculation performed at the GIAO-B3LYP/6-31G level, which indicated large positive NICS values within the COT core and small NICS values within the local zinc(II) porphyrins.

Giant Porphyrin Wheels with Large Electronic Coupling as Models of Light-Harvesting Photosynthetic Antenna

Starting from a 1,3-phenylene-linked diporphyrin zinc(II) complex 2ZA, repeated stepwise Ag(I)-promoted coupling reactions provided linear oligomers 4ZA, 6ZA, 8ZA, and 12ZA. The intramolecular cyclization reaction of 12ZA under dilute conditions (1x10(-6) M) gave porphyrin ring C12ZA with a diameter of approximately 35 A in 60% yield. This synthetic strategy has been applied to a 1,3-phenylene-linked tetraporphyrin 4ZB to provide 8ZB, 12ZB, 16ZB, 24ZB, and 32ZB. The intramolecular coupling reaction of 24ZB gave a larger 24-mer porphyrin ring C24ZB with a diameter of approximately 70 A in 34% yield. These two large porphyrin rings were characterized by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques. The STM images of C12ZA reveal largely circular structures, whereas those of C24ZB exhibit mostly ellipsoidal shapes, indicating more conformational flexibility of C24ZB. Similar to the case of C12ZA, the efficient excitation energy transfer along the ring has been confirmed for C24ZB by using the time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) and picosecond transient absorption anisotropy (TAA) measurements, and occurs with a rate of (35 ps)(-1) for energy hops between neighboring tetraporphyrin subunits. Collectively, the present work provides an important step for the construction of large cyclic-arranged porphyrin arrays with ample electronic interactions as a model of light-harvesting antenna.

Single Molecule Spectroscopic Investigation on Conformational Heterogeneity of Directly Linked Zinc(II) Porphyrin Arrays

We have comparatively investigated the photophysical properties of a series of meso-meso directly linked orthogonal porphyrin arrays (Zn, n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 32, 48, 64, and 96) by ensemble average and single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. In single molecule fluorescence study, we have recorded the fluorescence intensity trajectories of Zn arrays as the number of porphyrin molecules in the array increases. Up to Z8 in porphyrin arrays, each single array exhibits multiple stepwise photobleaching behaviors in fluorescence intensity trajectories, indicating that each porphyrin unit in the array acts as an individual fluorescent unit due to a maintenance of linear rigid structure of the array. On the other hand, porphyrin arrays longer than Z8 such as Z16, Z32, Z48, and Z64 show complicated photobleaching behaviors in fluorescence intensity trajectories. The origin of complex photobleaching behaviors is believed to be increasing nonradiative decay channels contributed by the enhanced structural nonlinearity in longer arrays. The fluorescence measurements of Zn arrays on single molecule level show a mismatch in the maximum fluorescence intensity level as compared to the solution measurements, which is attributable to the difference in local environment surrounding the porphyrin array. In this work, we have demonstrated the presence of conformational heterogeneity in longer porphyrin arrays by analyzing average survival times and fluorescence spectra of single arrays as the number of porphyrin molecules in the array increases. We believe that the fluorescence properties of porphyrin arrays on single molecule level will provide a platform for further applications as molecular photonic wires.

Surface-Grafted Multiporphyrin Arrays as Light-Harvesting Antennae to Amplify Photocurrent Generation

Organized multiporphyrin arrays were developed on the conductive surface by a novel coordination-directed molecular architecture aiming at efficient photoelectric conversion. The basic strategy employs the mutual coordination of two imidazolylporphyrinatozinc(II) units to form a cofacial dimer. Thus, meso,meso-linked bis(imidazolylporphyrinatozinc) (Zn2(ImP)2) was organized onto imidazolylporphyrinatozinc on the gold substrate as a self-assembled monolayer. The organized Zn2(ImP)2 bearing allyl side chains was covalently linked by ring-closing olefin metathesis catalyzed with Grubbs catalyst. Alternating coordination/metathesis reactions allow the stepwise accumulation of multiporphyrin arrays on the gold electrode. A successive increase in absorption over a wide wavelength range occurred after each accumulation step of Zn2(ImP)2 on the gold electrode, and cathodic photocurrent generation was enhanced in the aqueous electrolyte system, containing viologen as an electron carrier. The significant increase of the photocurrent indicates that the multiporphyrin array works as a "light-harvesting antenna" on the gold electrode.

Directly meso-meso linked porphyrin rings: synthesis, characterization, and efficient excitation energy hopping

Directly meso-meso linked porphyrin rings CZ4, CZ6, and CZ8 that respectively comprise four, six, and eight porphyrins have been synthesized in a stepwise manner from a 5,10-diaryl zinc(II) porphyrin building block. Symmetric cyclic structures have been indicated by their very simple (1)H NMR spectra that exhibit only a single set of porphyrin and their absorption spectra that display a characteristic broad nonsplit Soret band around 460 nm. Energy minimized structures calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G* level indicate that a dihedral angle between neighboring porphyrins decreases in order of CZ6 > CZ8 > CZ4, which is consistent with the (1)H NMR data. Photophysical properties of these molecules have been examined by the steady-state absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence anisotropy decay, and transient absorption measurements. Both the pump-power dependence on the femtosecond transient absorption and the transient absorption anisotropy decay profiles are directly related with the excitation energy migration processes within the porphyrin rings, where the exciton-exciton annihilation time and the polarization anisotropy rise time are well described in terms of the Forster-type incoherent energy hopping model. Consequently, the excitation energy hopping rates have been estimated for CZ4 (119 +/- 2 fs)(-)(1), CZ6 (342 +/- 59 fs)(-)(1), and CZ8 (236 +/- 31 fs)(-)(1), which reflect the magnitude of the electronic coupling between the neighboring porphyrins. Overall, these porphyrin rings serve as a well-defined wheel-shaped light harvesting antenna model in light of very efficient excitation energy hopping along the ring.

Efficient excitation energy transfer in long meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin arrays bearing a 5,15-bisphenylethynylated Zn(II) porphyrin acceptor

Electronically coupled porphyrin arrays are suitable for artificial light harvesting antenna in light of a large absorption cross-section and fast excitation energy transfer (EET). Along this line, an artificial energy transfer model system has been synthesized, comprising of an energy donating meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin array and an energy accepting 5,15-bisphenylethynylated Zn(II) porphyrin linked via a 1,4-phenylene spacer. This includes an increasing number of porphyrins in the meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin array, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 (Z1A, Z2A, Z3A, Z6A, Z12A, and Z24A). The intramolecular singlet-singlet EET processes have been examined by means of the steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The steady-state fluorescence comes only from the acceptor moiety in Z1A-Z12A, indicating nearly the quantitative EET. In Z24A that has a molecular length of ca. 217 A, the fluorescence comes largely from the acceptor moiety but partly from the long donor array, indicating that the intramolecular EET is not quantitative. The transient absorption spectroscopy has provided the EET rates in real time scale: (2.5 ps)(-1) for Z1A, (3.3 ps)(-1) for Z2A, (5.5 ps)(-1) for Z3A, (21 ps)(-1) for Z6A, (63 ps)(-1) for Z12A, and (108 ps)(-1) for Z24A. These results have been well explained by a revised Förster equation (Sumi formula), which takes into account an exciton extending coherently over several porphyrin pigments in the donor array, whose length is not much shorter than the average donor-acceptor distance. Advantages of such strongly coupled porphyrin arrays in light harvesting and transmission are emphasized in terms of fast EET and a large absorption cross-section for incident light.

Thermolysis of vic-dihydroxybacteriochlorins: effect of the nature of substrates in directing the formation of chlorin-chlorin dimers with fixed and flexible orientations and their preliminary in vitro photosensitizing efficacy

The thermolysis products obtained by refluxing a series of vic-dihydroxychlorins in o-dichlorobenzene are characterized. Depending on the nature of substrates, this methodology provides an access for novel carbon-carbon linked chlorin-chlorin dimers and chlorin-porphyrin dimers with fixed and flexible orientations. The configuration of the linkers in the symmetrical and unsymmetrical dimers was confirmed by extensive NMR (COSY, ROESY) and molecular modeling studies. The molecular modeling studies of the energy-optimized dimers with flexible orientation confirmed that one of the chlorin units of the dimeric structure is tilted toward the opposite ring as evident by the shielding effect in the resonances of some of the protons in the (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Among the dimers with fixed orientation, compared to the free-base analogues, the related mono- and di-Zn(II) complexes produced a decreased fluorescence intensity, suggesting a possibility of the faster energy transfer via intersystem crossing (ISC) in the metalated derivatives than the corresponding free-base analogues to produce the corresponding excited triplet states. The photosensitizing efficacy of the monomers and the related dimers was also compared in radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumor cells at variable drug/light doses. In preliminary screening, compared to monomers, the corresponding carbon-carbon linked dimers produced enhanced photosensitizing efficacy.

Strong intramolecular chromophore interactions in novel bis([60]fullerene)-oligoporphyrin nanoarrays

Novel nanodimensional dyads were prepared by Bingel reaction of meso, meso-linked oligoporphyrin bis-malonates with C60. Distinct conformational effects were observed as a result of strong fullerene-porphyrin interactions, which also lead to efficient quenching of the porphyrin luminescence.