Synthesis and Characterization of the Zinc and Manganese Complexes of 5,10,15,20-Tetra[3,4-dibenzyloxyphenyl]Porphyrin Erin Hutchens Faculty mentors: Cynthia P. Tidwell and Prakash Bharara University of Montevallo The objective of this research was to synthesize and characterize the zinc and manganese complexes of 5,10,15,20-tetra[3,4-dibenzyloxyphenyl]porphyrin. They were synthesized and purified using conventional methods. Upon metallation, the UV-Vis spectra exhibited a shift in the Soret band and disappearance of some of the Q bands as was expected. The zinc complex exhibited a Soret band at 426 nm and Q bands at 552 and 594 nm. The zinc complex gave an emission at 606 nm upon excitation at 426 nm and the quantum yield was determined to be 0.08 upon excitation at 515 nm. The manganese complex exhibited a Soret band at 482 nm and Q bands at 587 and 625 nm but did not fluoresce upon excitation. Additional characterizations are currently underway. Erin Hutchens is a chemistry major from McCalla, Alabama. She will be attending pharmacy school at Samford University in the fall of 2019.
