Luminescence properties of a cofacial dipalladium porphyrin dimer under argon and in the presence of dioxygen

The preparation and luminescence properties of a dipalladium cofacial porphyrin dimer (DPA)Pd-2 (where DPA is the tetraanion of 1,8-bis(2,8,13,17-tetraethyl-3,7, 12, 18-tetramethylporphyrin-5-yl)anthracene are reported and compared together with the photophysical behavior of the known monomeric (OEP)Pd and (TPP)Pd complexes. The effect of dioxygen in the presence and in the absence of the very bulky base, 1-t-butyl-5phenylimidazole, is also investigated. The title dimer, (DPA)Pd-2, shows fluorescence and phosphorescence in the ps and ms time scale, respectively, with a global intensity fewer than that of the porphyrin monomer analogues. The fluorescence sensitivity towards dioxygen quenching appears greater for the dipalladium complex than that of the monoporphyrin derivatives. In the presence of the bulky base, this sensitivity shows a dramatic decrease. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.