PHOTOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF 2‐NITRO‐5,10,15,20‐TETRA‐p‐TOLYLPORPHYRINS

Abstract

— Tetraarylporphyrins substituted with nitro groups at fipyrrolic positions are potential candidates for electron‐accepting pigments in model systems for photosynthesis. The photophysics of 2‐nitro‐5,10,15,20‐tetra‐p‐tolylporphyrin and its zinc analog have been studied in order to evaluate this potential. The ground state absorption spectrum, the triplet‐triplet absorption spectrum, the fluorescence emission spectrum, and associated photophysical parameters have been determined. The molecules have short singlet lifetimes and anomalous temperature‐ and solvent‐dependent emission spectra which are consistent with the formation of an intramolecular charge transfer state of the type P+ ‐NO²; in which the nitro group is twisted about its bond to the porphyrin, relative to the ground state conformation.