Platinum(II) π-extended porphyrins
fused with pentacenequinone
and dihydropentacene have been successfully synthesized. These porphyrins
were investigated using various techniques including absorption, steady-state,
and time-resolved phosphorescence spectroscopy and differential pulse
voltammetry. UV–vis absorption spectra of pentacenequinone-fused
porphyrins (SW-Pt1 and SW-Pt2) showed unusually
broad and nontypical absorption patterns. Phosphorescence spectra
of SW-Pt1, SW-Pt2, and SW-Pt3 displayed similar emissions in the 704–706 nm region indicating
electronic transitions of similar origin; however, the triplet lifetimes
were found to be quenched in the case of both SW-Pt1 and SW-Pt2, suggesting the occurrence of excited-state events.
Facile reductions were obtained for both the pentacene-quinone-fused
monomer (SW-Pt2) and dimer (SW-Pt1) and
were identified to be located at the pentacenequinone components.
The observed orbital segregations for SW-Pt2 and SW-Pt1 from DFT calculations supported the possibility of
charge transfer in these push–pull systems. Interestingly,
the established energy level diagram revealed that the charge transfer
from the triplet excited Pt porphyrin is thermodynamically an uphill
process. Systematic studies involving both femtosecond and nanosecond
transient absorption techniques revealed that the singlet excited
Pt porphyrins undergo an intermediate charge transfer state prior
to populating the triplet state, providing a plausible explanation
for phosphorescence quenching. The lifetime of the intermediate charge
transfer states was found to be 25.9 and 5.68 ps, respectively, for SW-Pt1 and SW-Pt2.