Spectroscopic studies on the selective inclusion of amphiphilised porphyrin derivatives in micellar phases

The inclusion behavior of [5-(4-(3-trimethylammonium)propyloxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tryphenylporphyrin] chloride (1H(2)), 2-[2-(2-(4-(10,15,20-triphenyl-5-porphyrinyl)-phenoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy]etha nol (2H(2)), and their Mn(III) derivatives, 1MnCl and 2MnCl, respectively, in micellar phases of CTAB and Brij 35 aqueous solutions has been studied by means of several spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained show that a suitable functionalisation of the periphery of the porphyrin macrocycle influences the specificity of their binding to different micellar aggregates. This, consequently, allows for a tuning of the location and the aggregation mode of inclusion. These findings give a sound basis for the interpretation of the, earlier reported, P450 biomimetic catalytic activity featured by 1MnCl and 2MnCl in the epoxidation of some probe olefins. Copyright (C) 2003 Society of Porphyrins & Phthalocyanines.