Porphyrins have outstanding chemical and thermal stability. The macrocyclic structure and chemical reactivity of tetrapyrroles offers architectural
flexibility and facilitates the tailoring of chemical, physical and optoelectronic parameters. The specific optical properties of the tetrapyrrole
macrocycle combined with the synthetic methodologies now available and the already available theoretical and spectroscopic knowledge on their optical
behavior make porphyrins a target of choice for this area. They are versatile organic nanomaterials with a rich photochemistry and their excited state
properties are easily modulated through conformational design, molecular symmetry, metal complexation, orientation and strength of the molecular dipole
moment, size and degree of conjugation of the p-systems, and appropriate donor-acceptor substituents. The aim of this project is to synthesized porphyrin
derivatives that offer potential for nonlinear optical (NLO) applications. Classes of interest include the classic A4 symmetric tetrapyrroles,
while optimized systems include push-pull porphyrins, oligomeric and supramolecular self-assembled systems, films and nanoparticle systems, and highly
conjugated porphyrin arrays.