Photophysical And Photochemical Properties Of Purpurins

The photochemical and photophysical properties of purpurins have been investigated. Photophysical measurements indicate that these sensitizers have high quantum yields of long lived triplet excited states which efficiently quench molecular oxygen, giving rise to singlet oxygen. Irradiation of purpurins in light leads to oxidative cleavage of the isocyclic ring to form the corresponding formyl chlorins. In aqueous solutions, it appears that this species then undergoes hydration with a corresponding blue shift in the absorption of band I in the visible spectrum.