Inter- and intramolecular quenching of the singlet excited state of porphyrins by ferrocene

Inter- and intramolecular quenching of the lowest singlet excited state of three porphyrins by ferrocene derivatives is reported. 5,15-Bis(4-tolyl)-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octamethylporphyrin (1) and two derivatives of 1 where one of the tolyl methyl groups was replaced by a ferrocenylvinyl group, 2, or by a ferrocenylethyl group, 3, were prepared. Porphyrin 2 was isolated as a mixture of cis (73%) and trans (27%) isomers. Singlet excited state properties were studied by steady-state emission spectroscopy and by emission lifetime measurements. The relative quantum yields of fluorescence for 2 and 3 compared to 1 are 0.38 and 0.84, respectively. Fluorescence decay lifetimes of 1 and 3 are 15 and 14 ns, respectively. Fluorescence of 2 is revealed to be due to the emission of two species (cis and trans isomers) with lifetimes of 4 and 13 ns. The shorter fluorescence lifetimes and smaller fluorescence quantum yields for 2 and 3 compared to 1 are attributed to quenching of the singlet excited state of the porphyrin by the ferrocenyl centers. However, the fraction of quenching by electron transfer and energy transfer could not be quantitatively measured. The rate constant for quenching is no more than 10⁸ s^-1, consistent with electron-transfer quenching. Intermolecular quenching rate constants for the quenching of the porphyrin singlet excited state by ferrocene derivatives were also found to be consistent with an electron transfer quenching mechanism.