Miłosz Pawlicki

Two‐Photon Absorption and the Design of Two‐Photon Dyes

Two-photon absorption has important advantages over conventional one-photon absorption, which has led to applications in microscopy, microfabrication, three-dimensional data storage, optical power limiting, up-converted lasing, photodynamic therapy, and for the localized release of bio-active species. These applications have generated a demand for new dyes with high two-photon absorption cross-sections. This Review introduces the theory of two-photon absorption, surveys the wide range of potential applications, and highlights emerging structure-property correlations that can serve as guidelines for the development of efficient two-photon dyes.

Expanding the Porphyrin π-System by Fusion with Anthracene

Synthesis of beta,meso,beta-anthracene triply fused and beta,meso-anthracene doubly fused porphyrins has been achieved via oxidative intramolecular ring closure of meso-(9-anthryl)porphyrins and meso-(1-anthryl)porphyrins, respectively. Fusion was only possible when the anthracene carried electron-donating alkoxy substituents. The fused porphyrins exhibit strongly red-shifted UV-vis absorption spectra and reduced electrochemical HOMO-LUMO gaps (relative to the unfused tetraaryl porphyrin precursor).

Palladium Vacataporphyrin Reveals Conformational Rearrangements Involving Hückel and Möbius Macrocyclic Topologies

5,10,15,20-Tetraaryl-21-vacataporphyrin (butadieneporphyrin, an annulene-porphyrin hybrid) which contains a vacant space instead of heteroatomic bridge acts as a ligand toward palladium(II). The metal ion of square-planar coordination geometry is firmly held via three pyrrolic nitrogen atoms where the fourth coordination place is occupied by a monodentate ligand or by an annulene part of vacataporphyrin. The macrocycle reveals the unique structural flexibility triggered by coordination of palladium. The structural rearrangements engage the C(20)C(1)C(2)C(3)C(4)C(5) annulene fragment which serves as a linker between two pyrrolic rings of vacataporphyrin albeit the significant ruffling of the tripyrrolic block is also of importance. Two fundamental modes of interactions between the palladium ion and annulene moiety have been recognized. The first one resembles an eta(2)-type interaction and involves the C(2)C(3) unit of the butadiene part. Alternatively the profound conformational adjustments allowed an in-plane coordination through the deprotonated trigonally hybridized C(2) center of butadiene. The coordinated vacataporphyrin acquires Hückel or extremely rare Möbius topologies readily reflected by spectroscopic properties. The palladium vacataporphyrin complexes reveal Hückel aromaticity or Möbius antiaromaticity of [18]annulene applying the butadiene fragment of vacataporphyrin as a topology selector. The properties of specific conformers were determined using (1)H NMR and density functional theory calculations.

Stepwise Effective Molarities in Porphyrin Oligomer Complexes: Preorganization Results in Exceptionally Strong Chelate Cooperativity

Complexes of zinc porphyrin oligomers with multivalent ligands can be denatured by adding a large excess of a monodentate ligand, such as quinuclidine. We have used denaturation titrations to determine the stabilities of the complexes of a cyclic zinc-porphyrin hexamer with multidentate ligands with two to six pyridyl coordination sites. The corresponding complexes of linear porphyrin oligomers were also investigated. The results reveal that the stepwise effective molarities (EMs) for the third through sixth intramolecular coordination events with the cyclic hexamer are extremely high (EM = 10(2)-10(3) M), whereas the values for the linear porphyrin oligomers are modest (EM ≈ 0.05 M). The speciation profiles for the denaturation reactions demonstrate that intermediate species are not significantly populated and that these equilibria are well described by a highly cooperative two-state model.

Engineering conjugation in para-phenylene-bridged porphyrin tapes

We report the synthesis of 7 new para-phenylene-bridged zinc porphyrin dimers, five of which were characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. A variety of links were tested for holding the para-phenylene bridges in π-conjugation with the porphyrins, and the natures of these restraining links strongly influence the properties of the porphyrin dimers. The keto-linked dimer exhibits a long-lived singlet excited state and strong fluorescence at 960 nm (1.7% quantum yield) in contrast to most previously reported conjugated porphyrin tapes, which are essentially non-emissive. Replacement of the cross-conjugated keto links by directly conjugated C–C bonds eradicates the fluorescence and shifts the absorption maximum to 1077 nm. On the other hand, replacement of the keto links with non-conjugated CPh2 links confers fluorescence at 736 nm (10% quantum yield) and results in remarkably similar one- and two-photon absorption behavior to that of meso–meso ethynylene-bridged porphyrin dimers (peak two-photon cross section: 7,300 GM at 878 nm). Cross-conjugated keto links do more than just hold the para-phenylene bridge coplanar with the porphyrins; they reduce the HOMO–LUMO gap, although to a lesser extent than direct π-conjugated links. Planarized para-phenylene-bridged porphyrin dimers provide insights into the relationship between previously investigated classes of conjugated porphyrin oligomers, and they open up possibilities for the synthesis of new types of near-IR two-photon absorbing dyes.

Aromaticity Switching in Porphyrinoids

The aromaticity of porphyrinoids can be substantially altered by reversible modification of their original electronic structures. Well-defined modulators can be used as a means to initiate these modifications, including redox processes, acid-base chemistry, and conformational phenomena. This Focus Review emphasizes the situation for which a single macrocyclic frame alternatively adopts diatropic and paratropic features and both situations are readily and mutually exchangeable. Eventually, such a porphyrinoid transformation can be explored as a suitable element to construct switchable optoelectronic materials.

Organocopper(II) Complex of 21-Diphenylphosphoryl-Carbaporpholactone Hybrid: A Side-On Coordination Mode of Copper(II)

The diphenylphosphoryl-carbaporpholactone hybrid is a new aromatic porphyrinoid, which preserves the essential features of the carbaporpholactone frame and provides a suitable environment allowing stabilization of the organocopper(II) complex affording a peculiar side-on coordination of copper(II).

Synthesis and Switching the Aromatic Character of Oxatriphyrins(2.1.1)

Triangularly shaped, contracted porphyrinoids belong to a group of molecules where the geometry significantly modifies the observed electronic properties. The need for a controllable, effective, and widely applicable approach to triphyrins drives extensive research towards macrocyclic materials that act as potential controlling motifs by switching their aromaticity. Two isomeric thiophene-fused triphyrins(2.1.1) were synthesized by applying an innovative approach. Spectroscopic techniques (NMR, UV/Vis) show that both macrocycles are aromatic and quantitatively convert into anti-aromatic structures after reduction with a zinc amalgam. The reduced forms were stabilized through boron(III) coordination, thereby allowing the observation of anti-aromatic 16 π delocalization within a contracted porphyrin.

Oxatriphyrins(2.1.1) Incorporating an ortho-Phenylene Motif†

An understanding of fundamental aspects of archetypal organic structural motifs remains a key issue faced by the experimental and theoretical chemists. Two possible bonding modes for a disubstituted benzene ring, that is a meta and para, determines the π delocalization for oligomeric structures. When the less abundant ortho-substituted variant is introduced into a triphyrin(2.1.1) skeleton an aromatic molecule is obtained and the carbocyclic ring participates in the conjugation of the macrocycle. The two-electron reduction and introduction of boron(III) changes the aromatic character and results in an anti-aromatic structure which has been confirmed by single-crystal analysis and supported by theoretical calculations.

Regioselective Amination of Carbaporpholactone and N Confused Porphyrin

An efficient route to the direct amination at the inner carbon of carbaporpholactone is reported. A regioselectivity of substitution is enforced by activation of the embedded furanone fragment due to coordination of the highly oxidized silver(III) cation. A stepwise oxidation of the dimethylamine derivative leads to the internally bridged carbaporpholactones which contain respectively [5.7.5] tricyclic or [5.7.5.7.5] pentacyclic rings. The analogous reactivity of N-confused porphyrin has been also explored.