Phosphorescent Complexes of Porphyrin Ketones: Optical Properties and Application to Oxygen Sensing

A new class of dyes, platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes of the porphyrin ketones (or “oxochlorins”), exhibiting strong phosphorescence at room temperature is described. Several representative compounds were prepared and studied by spectral luminescence methods in solution. Compared to the related porphyrin and chlorin complexes, the new dyes display high photochemical stability, long wave spectral characteristics, and good compatibility with semiconductor optoelectronics (e.g., excitation by light-emitting diodes). These properties make the new dyes promising for a number of relevant applications, such as quenched phosphorescence sensing and phosphorescence probing (e.g., in binding assays). Analytical application of the porphyrin ketone complexes to phosphorescence lifetime-based sensing of molecular oxygen is described. Platinum(II) octaethylporphine ketone was dissolved in a polystyrene layer to give an oxygen-sensitive film. Oxygen measurements were performed with a prototype fiber-optic instrument based on solid-state components, such as light-emitting diodes and photodiodes. The instrument measured phosphorescence lifetime via changes in phase shift The phosphorescence lifetime was determined to change from about 61.4 μs at zero oxygen to 16.3 μs in air (210 hPa of oxygen) at 22 °C. The analytically useful range of the sensor was 0-210 hPa of oxygen partial pressure, with a detection limit of 1.5 hPa. The precision of the device was 1.0 hPa at 210 hPa of oxygen and 0.5 hPa at zero oxygen.