Synthesis of benzoporphyrin-thiophene derivatives for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

In this research, two series of meso-thiophene-linked porphyrin and benzoporphyrin derivatives were successfully synthesized. Mono- and bi-thiophene substituents were introduced into porphyrin and benzoporphyrin at the meso-positions in order to enhance the solubility, extend the conjugated system and improve photophysical and electrochemical properties. All synthesized compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Their optical properties were also investigated by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectrophotometry in both solution and film. The spectroscopic data revealed that with an increasing number of the thiophenyl rings, the red shift of absorption and emission maxima were observed due to the higher conjugation system. Moreover, cyclic voltammetry indicated the potential application in optoelectronic devices, especially solar cells.