STRATEGY FOR CONSTRUCTING PHOTOSYNTHETIC MODELS - PORPHYRIN-CONTAINING MODULES ASSEMBLED AROUND TRANSITION-METALS

Transition metal complexes formed from oligopyridino ligands covalentl y attached to porphyrin modules have been used to assemble well-define d, photoactive multicomponent arrays. Apart from gathering together po rphyrinic components, the metal complex plays an essential role by mod ulating the degree of electronic coupling between the porphyrins or by direct participation in sequential electron-transfer steps. Several s uch-systems have been built and investigated by ultrafast transient sp ectroscopy, allowing critical comparison with the bacterial photosynth etic reaction centre complex.