Self-assemblies of cationic porphyrins with functionalized water-soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes

5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin, and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-trimethylammoniophenyl)porphyrin form self-assemblies with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) functionalized by polyaminobenzene sulfonic acid. Both steady-state and time-resolved emission studies revealed efficient quenching of the excited singlet states of the porphyrins. Atomic force microscopy, fluorescence confocal microscopy, and fluorescence lifetime imaging allowed the visualization of individual bundles of SWNTs and the differentiation of porphyrin molecules at specific binding sites of SWNT.