Diprotonation process of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives designed for photodynamic therapy of cancers: from multivariate curve resolution to predictive QSPR modeling.

Tetrapyrrole rings possess four nitrogen atoms, two of which act as Bröndsted bases in acidic media. The two protonation steps occur on a close pH range, particularly in the case of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) derivatives. If the cause of this phenomenon is well known--a protonation-induced distortion of the porphyrin ring--data on stepwise protonation constants and on electronic absorption spectra of monoprotonated TPPs are sparse.