Design and Studies on Supramolecular Ferrocene−Porphyrin−Fullerene Constructs for Generating Long-Lived Charge Separated States

Fluoride-ion-binding promoted photoinduced charge separation in a self-assembled C60 alkyl cation bound bis-crown ether-oxoporphyrinogen supramolecule

A bis-crown ether-oxoporphyrinogen was newly synthesized and self-assembled concurrently with C₆₀ alkyl ammonium cations at the crown ether sites and F^- anions (through hydrogen bonding) at the oxoporphyrinogen core. Ultrafast photoinduced charge transfer processes within the donor-acceptor conjugate were promoted by fluoride ion binding and this was established using various spectroscopic methods and transient absorption studies.

Mimicking Photosynthesis with Supercomplexed Lipid Nanoassemblies: Design, Performance, and Enhancement Role of Cholesterol

We report here a new approach to mimicking photosynthesis that relies on supercomplexed lipid nanoassemblies to organize small organic species for coordinated light harvesting, energy/electron transfer, and photo-to-electrochemical energy conversion. Specifically, we demonstrate efficient photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) between rhodamine and fullerene assembled together via electrostatically bound liposome and lipid bilayer hosts. The remarkable impact of the lipid matrix on the photoconversion efficiency is further revealed by cholesterol, whose addition is found to modify the distribution and organization of the coassembled rhodamine dyes and thus their photodynamics. This significantly expedites the energy transfer (ET) among rhodamine dyes, as well as the PeT between rhodamines and fullerenes. A respectable 14% photon-to-electron conversion efficiency was achieved for this supercomplexed system containing 5% rhodamines, 5% fullerenes, and 30% cholesterol. The morphology, photodynamics, and photoelectrochemical behavior of these lipid supercomplexes were thoroughly characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence microscopy, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and transient absorption (TA) and photoaction spectroscopy. A detailed discussion on enhancement mechanisms of cholesterol in this lipid-complexed photosynthesis-mimicking system is provided at the end.

Multi-modular, tris(triphenylamine) zinc porphyrin-zinc phthalocyanine-fullerene conjugate as a broadband capturing, charge stabilizing, photosynthetic 'antenna-reaction center' mimic

A broadband capturing, charge stabilizing, photosynthetic antenna-reaction center model compound has been newly synthesized and characterized. The model compound is comprised of a zinc porphyrin covalently linked to three units of triphenylamine entities and a zinc phthalocyanine entity. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of zinc porphyrin complemented that of zinc phthalocyanine offering broadband coverage. Stepwise energy transfer from singlet excited triphenylamine to zinc porphyrin, and singlet excited zinc porphyrin to zinc phthalocyanine (kENT ∼ 10(11) s(-1)) was established from spectroscopic and time-resolved transient absorption techniques. Next, an electron acceptor, fullerene was introduced via metal-ligand axial coordination to both zinc porphyrin and zinc phthalocyanine centers, and they were characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. An association constant of 4.9 × 10(4) M(-1) for phenylimidazole functionalized fullerene binding to zinc porphyrin, and 5.1 × 10(4) M(-1) for it binding to zinc phthalocyanine was obtained. An energy level diagram for the occurrence of different photochemical events within the multi-modular donor-acceptor conjugate was established from spectral and electrochemical data. Unlike the previous zinc porphyrin-zinc phthalocyanine-fullerene conjugates, the newly assembled donor-acceptor conjugate has been shown to undergo the much anticipated initial charge separation from singlet excited zinc porphyrin to the coordinated fullerene followed by a hole shift process to zinc phthalocyanine resulting in a long-lived charge separated state as revealed by femto- and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopic techniques. The lifetime of the final charge separated state was about 100 ns.

Synthesis, spectral, and structural studies of porphyrins having sterically hindered [η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4)] cobalt sandwich units at the meso positions

Synthesis, spectral, and structural studies of the first examples of porphyrins substituted at the meso positions with sterically hindered η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4) cobalt sandwich units are described. The novel dipyrromethane derived cobalt sandwich compound {η(5)-[(C4H4N)2CH]C5H4}Co(η(4)-C4Ph4) 1, as well as its parent aldehyde, η(5)-[C5H4(CHO)]Co(η(4)-C4Ph4), were used in the synthesis of porphyrins having one or two η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4) groups at their meso positions. 1,9-Diformyldipyrromethane derived η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4) 2 was synthesized using dipyrromethane 1 under Vilsmeier conditions. A reaction of 2 with unsubstituted dipyrromethane under basic conditions in the presence of Pd(C6H5CN)2Cl2 yielded an A-type palladium coordinated porphyrin 3 [where A = η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4)]. A similar reaction of 2 with meso aryl and ferrocenyl-substituted dipyrromethanes yielded trans-AB type palladium coordinated porphyrins 4-6 [where A = η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4) and B = 4-tert-butylphenyl 4, ferrocenyl 5, and pentafluorophenyl 6]. Reactions of 2 with 5-ferrocenyl dipyrromethane under the same reaction conditions in the presence of Ni(acac)2 and Zn(OAc)2 gave the trimetallic nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexed trans-AB type porphyrins 7 and 8 having both cobalt and iron sandwich units at the meso positions. Crystal structure of the Pd(II) porphyrin 5 and nickel(II) porphyrin 7 showed nonplanar structures having distinct ruffle type distortion of the porphyrin ring. Demetalation of the zinc(II) trans-AB type porphyrin 8 in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid gave the metal free base porphyrin 9. Reactions of the cobalt sandwich aldehyde [(η(5)-C5H4(CHO)]Co(η(4)-C4Ph4) with sterically hindered dipyrromethane derivatives under acid-catalyzed condensation reactions gave trans-A2B2 type porphyrins [where A = η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4) and B = pentafluorophenyl, 10 mesityl 11]. In contrast, reactions of [η(5)-C5H4(CHO)]Co(η(4)-C4Ph4) with sterically unhindered meso-4-tert-butylphenyl dipyrromethane resulted in both AB3 12 and cis-A2B2 13 type porphyrins [where A = η(5)-CpCo(η(4)-C4Ph4) and B = (4-tert-butylphenyl] as a result of scrambling. The new porphyrin derivatives have been structurally characterized, and their spectral and electrochemical features were determined.

Photoinduced charge transfer in short-distance ferrocenylsubphthalocyanine dyads

Two new ferrocenylsubphthalocyanine dyads with ferrocenylmethoxide (2) and ferrocenecarboxylate (3) substituents directly attached to the subphthalocyanine ligand via the axial position have been prepared and characterized using NMR, UV-vis, and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopies as well as X-ray crystallography. The redox properties of the ferrocenyl-containing dyads 2 and 3 were investigated using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) approach and compared to those of the parent subphthalocyanine 1. CV data reveal that the first reversible oxidation is ferrocene-centered, while the second oxidation and the first reduction are localized on the subphthalocyanine ligand. The electronic structures and nature of the optical bands observed in the UV-vis and MCD spectra of all target compounds were investigated by a density functional theory polarized continuum model (DFT-PCM) and time-dependent (TD)DFT-PCM approaches. It has been found that in both dyads the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to HOMO-2 are ferrocene-centered molecular orbitals, while HOMO-3 as well as lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and LUMO+1 are localized on the subphthalocyanine ligand. TDDFT-PCM data on complexes 1-3 are consistent with the experimental observations, which indicate the dominance of π-π* transitions in the UV-vis spectra of 1-3. The excited-state dynamics of the dyads 2 and 3 were investigated using time-correlated single photon counting, which indicates that fluorescence quenching is more efficient in dyad 3 compared to dyad 2. These fluorescence lifetime measurements were interpreted on the basis of DFT-PCM calculations.

Photoinduced electron transfer in supramolecules composed of porphyrin/phthalocyanine and nanocarbon materials

Photoinduced electron transfer in supramolecules composed of porphyrin/phthalocyanine and nanocarbon materials such as fullerenes, single-walled carbon nanotubes, and single-walled carbon nanohorns have been reviewed. With the aid of highly efficient visible-light harvesting porphyrin/phthalocyanine, the photosensitized electron transfer takes place from the photoexcited porphyrin/phthalocyanine to fullerene, which acts as a strong electron acceptor. In the case of nanocarbon materials such as single-walled carbon nanotubes and nanohorns, they may act as electron-trapping sites. From the holes and electrons generated on porphyrin/phthalocyanine-nanocarbons, electron pooling takes place at the strong and stable electron trapper (viologen dication) in solution.

Porphyrins as Molecular Electronic Components of Functional Devices

The proposal that molecules can perform electronic functions in devices such as diodes, rectifiers, wires, capacitors, or serve as functional materials for electronic or magnetic memory, has stimulated intense research across physics, chemistry, and engineering for over 35 years. Because biology uses porphyrins and metalloporphyrins as catalysts, small molecule transporters, electrical conduits, and energy transducers in photosynthesis, porphyrins are an obvious class of molecules to investigate for molecular electronic functions. Of the numerous kinds of molecules under investigation for molecular electronics applications, porphyrins and their related macrocycles are of particular interest because they are robust and their electronic properties can be tuned by chelation of a metal ion and substitution on the macrocycle. The other porphyrinoids have equally variable and adjustable photophysical properties, thus photonic applications are potentiated. At least in the near term, realistic architectures for molecular electronics will require self-organization or nanoprinting on surfaces. This review concentrates on self-organized porphyrinoids as components of working electronic devices on electronically active substrates with particular emphasis on the effect of surface, molecular design, molecular orientation and matrix on the detailed electronic properties of single molecules.

Multiantenna artificial photosynthetic reaction center complex

In order to ensure efficient utilization of the solar spectrum, photosynthetic organisms use a variety of antenna chromophores to absorb light and transfer excitation to a reaction center, where photoinduced charge separation occurs. Reported here is a synthetic molecular heptad that features two bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene and two borondipyrromethene antennas linked to a hexaphenylbenzene core that also bears two zinc porphyrins. A fullerene electron acceptor self-assembles to both porhyrins via dative bonds. Excitation energy is transferred very efficiently from all four antennas to the porphyrins. Singlet-singlet energy transfer occurs both directly and by a stepwise funnel-like pathway wherein excitation moves down a thermodynamic gradient. The porphyrin excited states donate an electron to the fullerene with a time constant of 3 ps to generate a charge-separated state with a lifetime of 230 ps. The overall quantum yield is close to unity. In the absence of the fullerene, the porphyrin excited singlet state donates an electron to a borondipyrromethene on a slower time scale. This molecule demonstrates that by incorporating antennas, it is possible for a molecular system to harvest efficiently light throughout the visible from ultraviolet wavelengths out to approximately 650 nm.

Self-organized porphyrinic materials

The self-assembly and self-organization of porphyrins and related macrocycles enables the bottom-up fabrication of photonic materials for fundamental studies of the photophysics of these materials and for diverse applications. This rapidly developing field encompasses a broad range of disciplines including molecular design and synthesis, materials formation and characterization, and the design and evaluation of devices. Since the self-assembly of porphyrins by electrostatic interactions in the late 1980s to the present, there has been an ever increasing degree of sophistication in the design of porphyrins that self-assemble into discrete arrays or self-organize into polymeric systems. These strategies exploit ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding, coordination chemistry, and dispersion forces to form supramolecular systems with varying degrees of hierarchical order. This review concentrates on the methods to form supramolecular porphyrinic systems by intermolecular interactions other than coordination chemistry, the characterization and properties of these photonic materials, and the prospects for using these in devices. The review is heuristically organized by the predominant intermolecular interactions used and emphasizes how the organization affects properties and potential performance in devices.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a Hexaphenylbenzene-based Self-assembled Porphyrin-fullerene Triad

A hexaphenylbenzene-based zinc porphyrin dyad forms a 1:1 complex with a fullerene bearing two pyridyl groups via coordination of the pyridyl nitrogens with the zinc atoms. The fullerene is symmetrically located between the two zinc porphyrins. The binding constant for the complex is 7.3 x 10(4) M(-1) in 1,2-difluorobenzene. Photoinduced electron transfer from a porphyrin first excited singlet state to the fullerene occurs with a time constant of 3 ps, and the resulting charge-separated state has a lifetime of 230 ps. This self-assembled construct should form a basis for the construction of more elaborate model photosynthetic antenna-reaction center systems.