Donor-acceptor biomorphs from the ionic self-assembly of porphyrins

The metal dependent electron donor or electron acceptor properties of the microscale four-leaf clover-shaped structures formed by self-assembly of anionic and cationic porphyrin are reported. The results demonstrated that clovers derived from anionic Zn porphyrins (electron donors) and cationic Sn porphyrins (electron acceptors) are photoconductors, but when the metals are reversed in the two porphyrins, the resulting clovers are insulators.