Photoacoustic calorimetry was used to measure the quantum yields of singlet molecular oxygen production by the triplet states of tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP), ZnÀTPP and CuÀTPP in toluene, yielding values of 0.67 AE 0.14, 0.68 AE 0.19 and 0.03 AE 0.01, respectively. We show that a novel dichlorophenyl derivative of Zn À TPP is capable of singlet-oxygen production with a 0.90 AE 0.07 quantum yield. The synthesis and characterisation of a new photostable chlorin with high absorptivity in the red that is capable of singlet-oxygen production with 0.54 AE 0.06 quantum yield is described. Our results suggest that chlorinated chlorins may be interesting new sensitisers for photodynamic therapy.