Porphyrin-phthalocyanine/pyridylfullerene supramolecular assemblies

The synthesis and photophysical properties of several porphyrin (P)-phthalocyanine (Pc) conjugates (P-Pc; 1-3) are described, in which the phthalocyanines are directly linked to the β-pyrrolic position of a meso-tetraphenylporphyrin. Photoinduced energy- and electron-transfer processes were studied through the preparation of H(2)P-ZnPc, ZnP-ZnPc, and PdP-ZnPc conjugates, and their assembly through metal coordination with two different pyridylfulleropyrrolidines (4 and 5). The resulting electron-donor-acceptor hybrids, which were formed by axial coordination of compounds 4 and 5 with the corresponding phthalocyanines, mimicked the fundamental processes of photosynthesis; that is, light harvesting, the transduction of excited-state energy, and unidirectional electron transfer. In particular, photophysical studies confirmed that intramolecular energy-transfer resulted from the S(2) excited state as well as from the S(1) excited state of the porphyrins to the energetically lower-lying phthalocyanines, followed by an intramolecular charge-transfer to yield P-Pc(.+)⋅C(60)(.-). This unique sequence of processes opens the way for solar-energy-conversion processes.