Physicochemical Properties of Protoporphyrin IX by Metal Ions in Acetonitrile-Water Mixture Solution

The UV-vis absorption spectrum of protoporphyrin IX shows a very sharp and strong absorption maximum peak at 398 nm in acetonitrile-water mixture solution (1:1 v/v). When divalent metal ions such as $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and $Ca^{2+}$ ion were added to protoporphyrin IX, metal protoporphyrin IX complexes were thereby produced. Cu-protoporphyrin IX complexes have the largest formation constant ($K_f$) among them. The fluorescence intensity of protoporphyrin IX was diminished by the presence of $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, and $Ni^{2+}$ ions as quenchers. However, $Mg^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, and $Ni^{2+}$ ions are hardly combined with protoporphyrin IX. $Mg^{2+}$ ion does not take part in the fluorescence quenching process of protoporphyrin IX in acetonitrile-water mixture solution. According to the Stern-Volmer plots, fluorescence quenching by $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and $Ca^{2+}$ ions involves static quenching, which is due to complex formation. On the contrary, dynamic quenching has a large influence on the overall quenching process, when $Mn^{2+}$ and $Ni^{2+}$ ions were added to protoporphyrin IX in acetonitrile-water mixture solution.