SEQUENTIAL PROTONATION OF MESO-(P-(DIMETHYLAMINO)PHENYL)PORPHYRINS - CHARGE-TRANSFER EXCITED-STATES PRODUCING HYPERPORPHYRINS

Successive protonation by trifluoroacetic acid of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives bearing one, two, or four p-dimethylamino groups gives rise to new types of spectra. With one free amino group, the spectrum of the centrally protonated porphyrin shows a strong far-red band, a broad, flat absorption in the visible. and a less intense Soret band. With two or more free amino groups, the Soret band of the centrally protonated porphyrin is further split into two components. Complete protonation, including the peripheral amino groups, in all cases restores the spectral structure of the unsubstituted tetraphenylporphyrin dication. The spectra of the dianions of tetraanilino- and tetraphenylporphyrins are also similar. These results, and the related behavior of p-oxyphenylporphyrins and protonated Schiff base porphyrins, lead to a general interpretation of hyperporphyrin spectra in terms of charge-transfer excited states, involving charge movement either into or out of the porphyrin ring.