Micro- or nanorod and nanosphere structures derived from a series of phenyl-porphyrins

Abstract

We examine here a series of meso-phenyl porphyrin micro- and nanostructures. Optical absorption and emission spectroscopy imaging and atomic force microscopy are used to investigate the effect of peripheral groups in nano- and microstructures of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (H₂TPP) compared to three other phenylporphyrins, i.e. 5,10,15-triphenylporphyrin (H₂-Tri-PP), 5,10-diphenylporphyrin (H₂5,10-BPP) and 5,15-diphenylporphyrin (H₂5,15-BPP) molecules. We show that nanospheres and nanorods are formed, the occurrence and properties of which are influenced by the number and position of the phenyl substituents.