Conformation and Electronic Population Transfer in Membrane-Supported Self-Assembled Porphyrin Dimers by 2D Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy (2D FS) is applied to determine the conformation and femtosecond electronic population transfer in a dimer of magnesium meso tetraphenylporphyrin. The dimers are prepared by self-assembly of the monomer within the amphiphilic regions of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes. A theoretical framework to describe 2D FS experiments is presented, and a direct comparison is made between the observables of this measurement and those of 2D electronic spectroscopy (2D ES). The sensitivity of the method to varying dimer conformation is explored. A global multivariable fitting analysis of linear and 2D FS data indicates that the dimer adopts a "bent T-shaped" conformation. Moreover, the manifold of singly excited excitons undergoes rapid electronic dephasing and downhill population transfer on the time scale of ∼95 fs. The open conformation of the dimer suggests that its self-assembly is favored by an increase in entropy of the local membrane environment.