Construction of giant porphyrin macrorings self-assembled from thiophenylene-linked bisporphyrins for light-harvesting antennae

Chemistry. 2008;14(34):10735-44. doi: 10.1002/chem.200801466.

Abstract

As a model of bacterial photosynthetic light-harvesting antenna, a large number of porphyrin units were organized into barrel-shaped macrorings. Two imidazolylporphyrinatozinc(II) molecules were linked through either unsubstituted thiophenes or 3,4-dioctylthiophenes 1 a and 1 b, respectively. These structures were spontaneously organized by complementary coordination of the imidazolyl to zinc and produced a series of self-assembled fluorescent polygonal macrorings under high dilution conditions. The ring size increased compared with previous m-phenylene examples. The size distribution was also controlled by the presence of octyl substituents. A wide distribution of macrorings from 7- to >15-mer was obtained from 1 a, whereas macrorings ranging from 7- to 11-mer with a maximum population focused at the 8-mer were formed with 1 b. The size distribution was governed by competition between entropy-favored, smaller-ring formation and the enthalpy-favored, less-strained larger macroring. The UV/Vis spectra showed a gradual redshift for the larger rings reflecting an increase in the transition dipole interactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cyclization
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemical synthesis*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / standards
  • Metalloporphyrins / chemical synthesis*
  • Metalloporphyrins / chemistry
  • Molecular Structure
  • Porphyrins / chemical synthesis
  • Porphyrins / chemistry*
  • Reference Standards
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence / methods
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / methods
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Thiophenes / chemistry*
  • Zinc / chemistry

Substances

  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Metalloporphyrins
  • Porphyrins
  • Thiophenes
  • Zinc