DECREASED ELECTRON TRANSFER RATES OF MANGANESE PORPHYRINS WITH CONFORMATIONAL DISTORTION OF THE MACROCYCLE

: Slow electron transfer to manganese(iii) porphyrins results when the macrocycle deviates from planarity. This was demonstrated by measuring the kinetics of homogeneous electron transfer from a series of semiquinone radical anions to synthetic manganese porphyrins (shown schematically; R1 =H, Cl, F; R2 =H, F). Three of the four porphyrins studied have nonplanar macrocycles. These results could have implications for the role of manganese in biological electron transfer processes.