A new radical mechanism of phorphyrin-photosensitized degradation reactions in biological systems.

The feasibility of creation in biological membranes of artificial donor-acceptor systems, based on zinc porphyrins and halomethanes, capable of photoinduced electron transfer from excited porphyrin molecules to halomethane molecules has been shown. The radicals derived from halomethanes exhibit a high efficiency in the destructive action on the main membrane components proteins and lipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]