Laterally-extended porphyrin systems incorporating a switchable unitElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: experimental procedures and characterization of compounds. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b1/b111655j/

p-Quinone units incorporated into the central portion of rigid pi-systems linking either two porphyrin macrocycles or a porphyrin and a phenanthroline group have the potential to function as a chemically and electrochemically controllable switch, thus acting as a means of modulating electronic communication between the two end groups.