Synthesis and Characterization of Porphyrin-o-Quinones - A New Group of Model Compounds for Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the most important energy conversion process for life on earth. Thus, many research groups attempt the synthesis of covalently linked porphyrin quinones to mimic the underlying electron transfer processes occurring in the primary step of photosynthesis. In order to study the influence of different acceptor strengths and geometrical parameters on the electron transfer properties a few hundred porphyrin-p-quinones with different bridging and acceptor units were synthesized.[1] In this context we became interested in the synthesis of stabilized porphyrin-o-quinones, which have not been described by other groups.