Highly efficient near IR photosensitizers based-on Ir–C bonded porphyrin-aza-BODIPY conjugates

Abstract

Two hybrid organic–metal complexes based-on Ir–C bonded porphyrin-aza-BODIPY conjugates have been facilely synthesized through group 9 iridium porphyrin with an aza-BODIPY axial ligand. The conjugates combine the advantages of the near-IR (NIR) absorption of the aza-BODPY dye (>700 nm) with the efficient singlet oxygen production of iridium porphyrin (Φ_Δ = 79–85%). The experimental results demonstrate that the axial ligand of aza-BODIPY largely affects the optical and photophysical properties of the conjugates due to the strong interaction between 5d orbitals of the Ir(III) ion and the aza-BODIPY π-system in the ground state, which differs considerably from previous reports.