Porphyrins and phthalocyanines - Functional molecular materials for optoelectronics and medicine

This paper deals with photophysical characterization of some synthetic porphyrins and phthalocyanines as well as natural chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls as attractive multifunctional organic materials for novel molecular photovoltaics and for photodynamic therapy or diagnosis of cancerous tissues. The following spectral methods were used in our investigations: electronic absorption, fluorescence, steady-state photoacoustic spectroscopy and time-resolved optoacoustic spectroscopy to get insight into the mechanisms responsible for molecular processes occurring in dyes upon light illumination. Spectral study was supported by photoelectric examination. The spectral parameters of dyes which are essential for photovoltaics and/or photodynamic therapy/diagnosis were estimated: absorption molar coefficients, fluorescence quantum yields, natural life-times, thermal deactivation parameters, quantum yields of triplet-state population, triplet-state thermal relaxation decay. It was shown that some synthetic porphyrins, phthalocyanines and natural ( bacterio) chlorophylls can be potentially used as functional materials for both optoelectronics and/or medicine.