Novel spectral and electrochemical characteristics of triphenylamine-bound zinc porphyrins and their intramolecular energy and electron transfer

Antenna effect on Zn(II) porphyrin-based molecular ensembles for the detection of 2,4-dinitrophenol through energy and electron transfer process

Two modular systems were synthesized composed of triphenylamine (ZnTPAP) and pyrene (ZnPyP) covalently linked at meso position of the Zn(II) porphyrins. Both compounds behaved as energy transfer antenna and orthogonal units to enhance the electron donating ability of Zn(II) porphyrins. Detailed photophysical and aggregation studies reveal that an appreciable electronic interaction exists between peripheral units to the porphyrin π-system so that they behave like strong donor materials. The electrochemical and computational studies demonstrate delocalization of the frontier highest occupied molecular orbital (-5.08 eV) over the triphenylamine entities (ZnTPAP) in addition to the porphyrin macrocycle. Fluorescence experiments with ZnTPAP and ZnPyP in the presence of different nitro analytes at various concentrations show turn-off fluorescence behaviour and exhibit superior selectivity towards 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) with limit of detection (LOD) of ~ 2.3 and 9.2 ppm for ZnTPAP and ZnPyP. Photoinduced electron transfer process is involved in the static and dynamic fluorescence quenching process. A Stern-Volmer quenching association constant (Ksv) determination revealed that ZnTPAP is more sensitive than the ZnPyP. This is attributed to the strong donating behaviour of TPA units caused by intermolecular interaction through metal center and strong π-π interactions with nitro analytes. The present study provides new insights into the ability to tune the affinity and selectivity of porphyrin-based sensors utilising electronic factors associated with the central Zn(II) ion. Furthermore, a smartphone-interfaced portable fluorimetric method by recognising colour variations in RGB and the luminance (L) values facilitate sensitive and real-time sensing at low concentration levels will have a significant impact on development of a new class of chemosensors.

Investigating the role of corrole as an excitation energy relay in light-induced processes in closely connected N,N'-bis(biphenyl-4-yl)aniline functionalized corrole donor-acceptor dyad

A photosynthetic antenna-reaction center model, BBA-PFCor comprised of N,N'-bis(biphenyl-4-yl)aniline (BBA) covalently functionalized to bis(pentafluoro)corrole moiety has been prepared and the contribution of the BBA as the photoinduced energy transfer antenna was investigated. UV-visible studies have shown that integrating the electron-rich BBA chromophore into the corrole core has broadened the soret band of the corrole moiety with the absorption spanning from 300 to 700 nm. Electrochemical studies, in corroboration with the computational calculations, revealed that, BBA moiety can act as an electron reservoir and, in the excited state, it would transfer the excited energy to the corrole moiety in the dyad. Steady-state fluorescence studies have demonstrated that, upon photoexcitation of the BBA moiety of BBA-PFCor at 310 nm in solvents of varied polarity, the BBA emission centered at 400 nm was observed to be quenched, with the concomitant appearance of the corrole emission from 500 to 700 nm, indicating the happening of photoinduced energy transfer (PEnT) from 1BBA* to corrole moiety. Parallel control experiments involving the excitation of the corrole moiety at 410 nm did not result in the diminishing of the corrole emission, suggesting that the quenching of the BBA emission in BBA-PFCor is majorly due to intramolecular PEnT from 1BBA* to corrole moiety leading to the formation of singlet excited corrole, that is, 1BBA*-PFCor ➔ BBA-1PFCor*. The free energy changes of PEnT, ΔGEnT, were found to be thermodynamically feasible in all the solvents used for the study. Parallel time-resolved fluorescence studies were congruent with the steady-state fluorescence results and provided further evidence for the occurrence of ultrafast PEnT from 1BBA*➔corrole in the dyad with the rates of energy transfer (kEnT) of ~108 s-1.

Solvent-Driven Self-Organization of Meso-Substituted Porphyrins: Morphological Analysis from Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

A morphological analysis of different thin films of meso-tetra-p-(di-p-phenylamino)phenylporphyrin, H₂T(TPA)₄P, was made by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A comprehensive study of H₂T(TPA)₄P was undertaken through UV/vis absorption and fluorescence techniques in different solvents, solvent mixtures and in thin films. In solution, occurrence of intramolecular energy transfer from the triphenylamine (TPA) moieties to the porphyrin core, with quenching efficiencies in the order of 94-97%, is observed. The energy transfer rate constants are determined assuming Förster's dipole-dipole and Dexter's electron exchange mechanisms. In drop-cast-prepared thin films, from samples with different solvent mixtures, the photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (Φ_PL) decreases ∼1 order of magnitude compared to the solution behavior. FLIM and SEM experiments showed the self-organization and morphology of H₂T(TPA)₄P in thin films to be highly dependent on the solvent mixture used to prepare the film. In chloroform, the solvent's evaporation results in the formation of elongated and overlapped microrod structures. Introduction of a cosolvent, namely, a polar cosolvent, promotes changes in the morphology of the self-assembled structures, with the formation of three-dimensional spherical structures and hollow spheres. H₂T(TPA)₄P dispersed in a polymer matrix shows enhanced Φ_PL values when compared to the drop-cast films. FLIM images showed coexistence of three different states or domains: aggregated, interface, and nonaggregated or less-aggregated states. This work highlights the importance of FLIM in the morphological characterization of heterogeneous films, together with the photophysical characterization of nano- and microdomains.

Lanthanide-tetrapyrrole complexes: synthesis, redox chemistry, photophysical properties, and photonic applications

Tetrapyrrole derivatives such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines, and porpholactones, are highly stable macrocyclic compounds that play important roles in many phenomena linked to the development of life. Their complexes with lanthanides are known for more than 60 years and present breath-taking properties such as a range of easily accessible redox states leading to photo- and electro-chromism, paramagnetism, large non-linear optical parameters, and remarkable light emission in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) ranges. They are at the centre of many applications with an increasing focus on their ability to generate singlet oxygen for photodynamic therapy coupled with bioimaging and biosensing properties. This review first describes the synthetic paths leading to lanthanide-tetrapyrrole complexes together with their structures. The initial synthetic protocols were plagued by low yields and long reaction times; they have now been replaced with much more efficient and faster routes, thanks to the stunning advances in synthetic organic chemistry, so that quite complex multinuclear edifices are presently routinely obtained. Aspects such as redox properties, sensitization of NIR-emitting lanthanide ions, and non-linear optical properties are then presented. The spectacular improvements in the quantum yield and brightness of Yb^III-containing tetrapyrrole complexes achieved in the past five years are representative of the vitality of the field and open welcome opportunities for the bio-applications described in the last section. Perspectives for the field are vast and exciting as new derivatizations of the macrocycles may lead to sensitization of other Ln^III NIR-emitting ions with luminescence in the NIR-II and NIR-III biological windows, while conjugation with peptides and aptamers opens the way for lanthanide-tetrapyrrole theranostics.

Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Electrochemical Behavior of 5,10,15,20-Tetraaryl-5,15-diazaporphyrin-Amine Hybrids

This work reports a series of covalently linked hybrids comprising 5,10,15,20-tetraaryl-5,15-diazaporphyrinoids (M-TADAP; M = Ni, Zn, Cu) and amines. M-TADAP-amine hybrids were prepared via the metal-templated cyclization of the corresponding metal(II)-dipyrrin complexes and redox reactions on the DAP unit. In the UV/vis/near-IR absorption spectra of the hybrids containing an 18π-electron DAP ring, broad charge-transfer bands were observed, reflecting the electron-donating property of the para-aminophenyl groups and the electron-accepting property of the 18π TADAP dication. The electrochemical behavior of the M-TADAP-amine hybrids was strongly dependent on the structure of the peripheral amine units. Further electrochemical oxidation of the hybrids bearing N-Ph groups conceivably generated amine-centered radicals, which sequentially underwent irreversible coupling to form benzidine-linked M-TADAP polymer films. The Ni-TADAP-benzidine polymer exhibited the electric conductivity of 1×10^-3  S m^-1 .

Chirogenesis in Zinc Porphyrins: Theoretical Evaluation of Electronic Transitions, Controlling Structural Factors and Axial Ligation

In the present work, sixteen different zinc porphyrins (possessing different meso substituents) with and without a chiral guest were modelled using DFT and TD-DFT approaches in order to understand the influence of various controlling factors on electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Two major aspects are influenced by these factors: excitation energy of the electronic transitions and their intensity. In the case of excitation energy, the influence increases in the following order: orientation of the peripheral substituents Collapse

Key Words

• circular dichroism
• density functional calculations
• porphyrins
• supramolecular chemistry
• transition metals

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MESH Headings Collapse

Grants

• PUTJD749 Estonian Research Council
• PRG399 Estonian Research Council
• 828779 European Union's H2020-FETOPEN
• Estonian Research Council

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Affiliation(s)

Irina Osadchuk Department of Chemistry and BiotechnologySchool of ScienceTallinn University of Technology AddressAkadeemia tee 1512618TallinnEstonia ICGMUniv MontpellierCNRS, ENSCMMontpellierFrance
Riina Aav Department of Chemistry and BiotechnologySchool of ScienceTallinn University of Technology AddressAkadeemia tee 1512618TallinnEstonia
Victor Borovkov Department of Chemistry and BiotechnologySchool of ScienceTallinn University of Technology AddressAkadeemia tee 1512618TallinnEstonia
Eric Clot ICGMUniv MontpellierCNRS, ENSCMMontpellierFrance

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Zinc Ion Triggered Controllable Binary/Ternary Memory Conversion Behaviors in Polyimides Containing Pendant Porphyrin Group

Compared with typical binary polymeric memory materials, functional polymers with ternary memory performance possess significant potential to achieve ultra-high-density data storage. The reported ternary memory polymers are normally driven by dual-mechanism. However, the involved thermodynamically unstable mechanisms (field-induced conformation change or conductive filament formation/fracture) may result in the poor reliability of memory devices under high-temperature working atmosphere. Another strategy to realize ternary memory is introducing charge trapping/de-trapping mechanism by attaching charge trap atom/group at electron donor, which is proved not always effective. Moreover, the synergistic two mechanisms may have difficulty for clarifying the relationship between memory performance and chemical structures, which is the core issue of polymer memory materials. Besides, some multi-level memory materials need the cooperative participation of artificially setting compliance current, which is the extension of typical binary memory and may cause a more complicated technique and logic circuit. Herein, based on charge-transfer mechanism, a concise and effective strategy to realize ternary memory application is proposed. By inserting a Zn ion, the charge-transfer process occurring in electron donors can lead to the novel electrical tri-stability memory behaviors. This work can provide a novel idea for achieving reliable and intrinsic ternary high-density data storage applications.

A dual redox-responsive supramolecular polymer driven by molecular recognition between bisporphyrin and trinitrofluorenone

A dual redox-responsive supramolecular polymer driven by molecular recognition between bisporphyrin (bisPor) and trinitrofluorenone (TNF) has been developed.

Near-infrared absorption by intramolecular charge-transfer transition in 5,10,15,20-tetra(N-carbazolyl)porphyrin through protonation

A porphyrin coupled quadruply with N-carbazolyl groups at the meso positions has been synthesized.

4D-π-1A type β-substituted ZnII-porphyrins: ideal green sensitizers for building-integrated photovoltaics

Two novel green β-substituted Zn^II-porphyrins, G1 and G2, based on a 4D-π-1A type substitution pattern have been synthesized. Their enhanced push-pull character, by reduction of H-L energy gaps, promotes broadening and red-shifting of absorption bands. The effective synthetic pathway and the remarkable spectroscopic properties make G2 ideal for BIPV application.

Charge stabilizing tris(triphenylamine)-zinc porphyrin-carbon nanotube hybrids: synthesis, characterization and excited state charge transfer studies

Functionalization of single-walled (SWCNTs) and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with a charge stabilizing zinc porphyrin functionalized with triphenylamine entities has been accomplished. The synthetic approach involved the reaction of tris-(triphenylamine)porphyrinato zinc(ii) with iodobenzene functionalized nanotubes through a Sonogashira C-C cross coupling reaction under microwave irradiation conditions. Evidence of covalent functionalization and the extent of functionalization was obtained from systematic studies carried out by AFM, TGA, XPS and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The porphyrin-nanotube interactions in the SWCNT-porphyrin hybrid were probed by studies involving optical absorbance, Raman spectroscopy, steady-state and time resolved emission and electrochemical studies. The fluorescence of porphyrin in this hybrid was found to be quenched due to interactions with the CNTs. Femtosecond transient absorption spectral studies covering both the visible and near-infrared regions were supportive of excited state charge transfer interactions in the zinc porphyrin-SWCNT. The charge separated state was persistent for about 1 ns. Electron pooling experiments suggested that this donor-acceptor nanohybrid could be a useful photocatalyst.

Photoinduced electron transfer in supramolecular ruthenium–porphyrin assemblies

We present dynamic supramolecular systems composed of a Ru(ii) complex of the form of [Ru(dtBubpy)₂(qpy)][PF₆]₂ (where dtBubpy is 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-dipyridyl and qpy is 4,4′:2′,2′′:4′′,4′′′-quaterpyridine) and zinc tetraphenylporphyrins (ZnTPP), through non-covalent interactions between the distal pyridines of the qpy and the zinc of ZnTPP.

Exploring the self-assembly and energy transfer of dynamic supramolecular iridium-porphyrin systems

We present the first examples of dynamic supramolecular iridium–zinc porphyrin systems.

Nanoscale phase separation in the bulk heterojunction structure of perylene bisimide and porphyrin by controlling intermolecular interactions

Phase separation has been achieved through designing directional intermolecular interactions of donor and acceptor materials in bulk heterojunction structures.

Synthesis, photophysical, electrochemical, and electrochemiluminescent properties of 5,15-bis(9-anthracenyl)porphyrin derivatives

Novel 5,15-bis(9-anthracenyl)porphyrin derivatives (, ) were synthesized by stepwise Suzuki-type coupling reactions using anthracenyl-boronates bearing various electronically active moieties. Absorption spectra of these porphyrin conjugates reveal some degree of delocalisation with the directly linked chromophores, particularly in the case of anthracenyl-porphyrin bearing dimethylanilino moieties at the two extremities. Fluorescence and 77 K phosphorescence properties indicate that the excitation energy is invariably funnelled to the lowest singlet and triplet states of the porphyrin chromophore. The latter levels have been probed also by transient absorption spectroscopy, showing the typical triplet features detected in meso-substituted porphyrins. Extensive electrochemical studies have been performed to unravel the electronic properties of the newly synthesized porphyrins. Low-temperature cyclic voltammetry investigations showed that the anthracenyl-porphyrins are capable of undergoing as many as four electron transfer processes. In particular, by means of UV-Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical measurements, a NIR-centred intramolecular photoinduced intervalence charge transfer (IV-CT) from a neutral N,N-dimethylanilino moiety to the N,N-dimethylanilino radical cation has been observed for the doubly-oxidised porphyrin (2+). The molecules also showed unexpected electrogenerated chemiluminescence properties, which revealed to be largely controlled by the electronic characteristics of the peripheral anthracenyl substituents. The structural and the electronic properties of these complexes have been also characterised by DFT calculations, as well as by X-ray crystallographic analyses.

Photodynamic properties and photoantimicrobial action of electrochemically generated porphyrin polymeric films

Spectroscopic and photodynamic properties of polymeric films bearing porphyrin units have been studied in both solution containing photooxidizable substrates and in vitro on Escherichia coli and Candida albicans microorganisms. The films were formed by electrochemical polymerization of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-N,N-diphenylaminophenyl)porphyrin (H2P-film) and its complex with Pd(II) (PdP-film) on optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. Absorption spectroscopic studies show the characteristic Soret and Q bands of the porphyrin in the visible region and a band at approximately 350 nm corresponding to the tetraphenylbenzidine units. Upon excitation, the H2P-film exhibits two bands of fluorescence emission from porphyrin, while it is not detected using PdP-film. The singlet molecular oxygen, O2(1Deltag), productions of these surfaces were evaluated using 9,10-dimethylanthracene in N,N-dimethylformamide. Also, the photodynamic activity was compared in solutions of L-tryptophan. Under these conditions, oxidation of these substrates takes place indicating an efficient photodynamic action of both polymeric films. In vitro investigations show that these films produce photosensitized inactivation of microbial cells in aqueous suspensions. These films exhibit a photosensitizing activity causing a approximately 3 log decrease of E. coil and approximately 2.5 log of C. albicans cellular survival after 30 min of irradiation with visible light. The photodynamic effect of the surfaces was also tested by growth delay experiments. The results indicate that porphyrins immobilized on electropolymeric films are interesting and versatile photodynamic surfaces to inactivate microorganisms in liquid suspensions.

Multi-Triphenylamine-Substituted Porphyrin-Fullerene Conjugates as Charge Stabilizing “Antenna−Reaction Center” Mimics

A new concept of charge stabilization via delocalization of the pi-cation radical species over the donor macrocycle substituents in a relatively simple donor-acceptor bearing multimodular conjugates is reported. The newly synthesized multimodular systems were composed of three covalently linked triphenylamine entities at the meso position of the porphyrin ring and one fulleropyrrolidine at the fourth meso position. The triphenylamine entities were expected to act as energy transferring antenna units and to enhance the electron donating ability of both free-base and zinc(II) porphyrin derivatives of these pentads. Appreciable electronic interactions between the meso-substituted triphenylamine entities and the porphyrin pi-system were observed, and as a consequence, these moieties acted together as an electron-donor while the fullerene moiety acted as an electron-acceptor in the multimodular conjugates. In agreement with the spectral and electrochemical results, the computational studies performed by the DFT B3LYP/3-21G(*) method revealed delocalization of the frontier highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) over the triphenylamine entities in addition to the porphyrin macrocycle. Free-energy calculations suggested that the light-induced processes from the singlet excited state of porphyrins are exothermic in the investigated multimodular conjugates. The occurrence of photoinduced charge-separation and charge-recombination processes was confirmed by the combination of time-resolved fluorescence and nanosecond transient absorption spectral measurements. Charge-separated states, on the order of a few microseconds, were observed as a result of the delocalization of the pi-cation radical species over the porphyrin macrocycle and the meso-substituted triphenylamine entities. The present study successfully demonstrates a novel approach of charge-stabilization in donor-acceptor multimodular conjugates.

Synthesis, Structure, and Optical and Electrochemical Properties of Star-Shaped Porphyrin−Triarylamine Conjugates

A series of novel star-shaped porphyrin-triarylamine conjugates were synthesized by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The spectroscopic and electrochemical studies show that pi-conjugation of the porphyrin core is extended to the triarylamine moieties.