Positively or negatively charged as well as uncharged water-soluble polymers 2a-d, 6a-c, 7a-e and positively charged crosslinked polymers 3a, b containing covalently bonded moieties of the substituted zinc tetraphenylporphyrin 1 a were prepared. In addition, positively charged polymers 4a-c with covalently bonded viologen, and 5 with covalently bonded 1 a and viologen at one and the same polymer chain were obtained. The triplet lifetimes in water of different l abonded linear polymers 2a-d, 6a-c, and 7a-e are not influenced by the kind of polymer environment. The photoredox activities in water of the polymers containing moieties of 1 a in the presence of methylviologen and 2-mercaptoethanol under irradiation with visible light are higher as compared with low-molecular-weight, positively or negatively charged porphyrins 1 b, c. The influence of the amount of polymer-bonded porphyrin and the molecular weight of a polymer on the photoredox activity is exemplarily described. Polymers 4a-c with viologen moieties as acceptor are more efficient than the low-moleular-weight methylviologen. The highest photoredox activities were observed with polymer 5 containing moieties of 1 a and viologen. In the presence of the enzyme hydrogenase formation of hydrogen occurs. 0 1991, Hiithig & Wepf Verlag, Basel CCC 0025-1 16X/91/$03.00