Shea, Michael2020-10-262020-10-262020-08https://hdl.handle.net/11299/216743University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. August 2020. Major: Material Science and Engineering. Advisor: Prashanth Poddutoori. 1 computer file (PDF); x, 67 pages.A series of axially substituted phosphorus(V) porphyrin esters were synthesized. One of these compounds was converted to a carboxylic acid. This carboxylic acid derivative was evaluated as a photosensitizer. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy. The optical properties were evaluated using UV-VIS absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as solid state diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The redox potentials were assessed with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The characterization data were used to construct energy level diagrams, laying the groundwork for a theoretical abstraction of how these molecules might function in a prototype photoelectrochemical cell.enThesis or Dissertation