Unique behaviors of polymers having metalloporphyrin as their side chains

Several kinds of polymers having tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) or some metallotetraphenylporphyrin (AgTPP, CuTPP, VOTPP or ZnTPP) moieties as their side chains have been prepared by the radical polymerization of the corresponding vinyl monomers. Visible spectra of these polymers show the clear hypochromism in the Soret bands of the tetraphenylporphyrin moieties as compared with those of the corresponding monomers. Polymer effects were clearly observed in the magnetic behaviors and the oxygen adsorption of paramagnetic metalloporphyrin moieties. In addition, polymer effects on photophysical and photochemical behaviors of ZnTPP were found in the amphiphilic polymers covalently tethered with small amounts Of ZnTPP and hydrophobic substituents above a critical content, which form hydrophobic domains due to aggregation of the hydrophobic groups in aqueous solution.