Photosynthesis is one of the most fascinating fields of current interdiscip
linary research. It seems miraculous that Nature, in the process of evoluti
on, has managed to bring about a 100 % quantum yield in charge separation o
ccurring in the primary processes within the photosynthetic reaction center
s. In fact, wasteful deactivation of the photoexcited electronic states int
o the ground state should be favored and thus prevent charge separation. Bi
omimetic model compounds have been synthesized, essentially from porphyrins
and quinones, resembling the redox-active cofactors, Nature has developed.
The underlying philosophy of this approach is to design and prepare suitab
le organic molecules allowing the specific properties of the complex electr
on transfer reactions to be tuned appropriately. Special emphasis is given
the thorough comparison of structures and functions of native and artificia
l systems. The prominent electron transfer characteristics are discussed in
particular by using time-resolved picosecond fluorescence and time-resolve
d EPR techniques.