Synthetic aspects of 2,2'-bisdipyrrins

Cationic nickel porphyrinoids with unexpected reactivity

Nickel(II) complexes of ring-contracted 9-methylisocorroles were prepared by templated macrocyclisation and act as the first porphyrinoid catalysts for C–C cross-coupling.

Cationic nickel(ii) complexes of two ring-contracted porphyrinoid ligands distantly related to the corrins were prepared by metal templated macrocyclisation. The compounds show reversible electron transfer processes and were found to be the first porphyrinoid-based catalysts for C–C cross-coupling.

Superoxide induced cyclizations of metallo-2,2'-bidipyrrins

The reaction of the open-chain tetrapyrrolic ligand 2,2'-bidipyrrin with molecular dioxygen in the presence of a catalytic amount of manganese(II)-acetate was found to produce 10,10'-diformyl-2,2'-bidipyrrin with a remarkable selectivity. To identify the active oxidant in this transformation, 2,2'-bidipyrrin was treated with potassium superoxide, sodium peroxide and manganese(III) acetate, respectively, in dry DMF. While superoxide produces the dialdehyde in high yield, the treatment with peroxide or manganese(III) acetate leads to decomposition only. Nickel(II)-, palladium(II)- and copper(II)-2,2'-bidipyrrin were found to undergo macrocyclization reactions when treated with potassium superoxide in dry DMF at room temperature. While the respective 10-oxocorrolates are formed from the nickel(II)- and palladium(II)-2,2'-bidipyrrins, the copper(II) chelate reacts very slowly and yields copper(III) corrole in low yield. The results strongly point to superoxide as the active oxidant in a recently found new synthesis of corroles.

Parallel synthesis of meso-substituted corroles and meso-substituted [22]pentaphyrins(1.1.1.0.0) from diacyl-dipyrromethanes

A new method was devised for the synthesis of 1,9-diacyldipyrromethanes - crucial intermediates in the synthesis of meso-substituted corroles and porphyrins with different substituents. The diacylodipyrromethanes formation involves acylation of dipyrromethanes with salts made in situ from POCl 3 and tertiary amides. This modified Vilsmeier approach gives higher yields and no concomitant formation of monoacyldipyrromethanes as compared with the Grignard route. Moreover, compounds possessing groups previously inaccessible ( CN , NO 2 etc.) can be synthesized. During optimization of the transformation of diacyldipyrromethanes into meso-substituted corroles it was found that if macrocyclization reaction mediated by DDQ is performed in the presence of large excess of pyrrole, meso-substituted [22]pentaphyrins(1.1.1.0.0) can be obtained in moderate yield. The currently described procedure constitutes a new method for the synthesis of these valuable porphyrinoids. Corroles possessing interesting, easy to transform, functional groups were obtained in 3-40% yield.

Unexpected isolation and characterization of a chloroiron complex with a 10-acetylcorrole ligand

The chloroiron complex of 10-acetyl-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylcorrole was isolated as an unexpected product from an attempted preparation of chloroiron-2,2'-bidipyrrin when acetone was used in the solvent mixture. In the molecular structure derived from X-ray crystallographic analysis the orthogonal arrangement of the acetyl group with the corrole macrocycle is clearly apparent, and the UV-vis spectrum of the compound indicates only a small electronic influence of the acetyl group on the corrole π-system. The paramagnetic 1 H NMR spectrum taken at ambient temperature shows two signal sets in a ratio of 2.2:1, indicating two stable orientations of the acetyl group in solution. Attempts to prepare the species from chloroiron-2,2'-bidipyrrin with iron(III)chloride in acetone were successful but gave inconsistent and generally low yields. A rationale for the formation of the new corrole is proposed.

Conformational dynamics of bis(BF2)-2,2'-bidipyrrins revealed by through-space 13C-19F and 19F-19F couplings

The conformation of [bis-(N,N'-difluoroboryl)]-3,3'-diethyl-4,4',8,8',9,9',10,10'-octamethyl-2,2'-bidipyrrin (1) in solution was studied by analyzing the 13C-19F and 19F-19F through-space spin-spin couplings. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra were assigned on the basis of nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY), heteronuclear single-quantum correlation (HSQC), and heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation (HMBC) experiments. The 19F spectrum of 1 was compared with that of 2-ethyl-1,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4,4-difluoro-4-bor-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacen (2). The 19F-19F through-space spin--spin coupling in 1 was thus assigned and the coupling constant was obtained by simulating the coupling patterns. The obtained conformation of 1 was compared with those of the known complexes [bis-(N,N'-difluoroboryl)]-3,3',8,8',9,9'-hexaethyl-4,4',10,10'-tetramethyl-6,6'-(4-methylphenyl)-2,2'-bidipyrrin (3)and [bis-(N,N'-difluoroboryl)]-9,9'-diethyl-4,4',8,8',10,10'-hexamethyl-3,3'-bis(methoxycarbonylethyl)-2,2'-bidipyrrin (4). The conformational dynamics of 1, 3, and 4 was surveyed by observing the temperature dependence of the through-space coupling constants between 253 and 333 K. The 13C-19F and 19F-19F through-space spin-spin couplings thus confirm similar conformations of different BisBODIPYs in solution in contrast to earlier findings in the solid state.

New Porphyrinoids: Vanadyl(IV) Complexes of meso-Aryl-Substituted Corrphycene and 10-Oxocorrole Ligands

Rare vanadyl corrphycene and vanadyl 10-oxocorrole complexes were obtained via an oxidative macrocyclization process by the treatment of 6,6'-di-p-tolyl-2,2'-bidipyrrin with VO(acac)2 in a hot dioxygen atmosphere. The geometric and electronic structures of the new porpyhrinoids were determined and showed the dependency of the spectral pattern from the aromaticity of the macrocyclic ligand.

Unexpected formation and structural characterisation of a novel rhodium B12 analogue

The metalation reactions of the 2,2'-bidipyrrin 4 with different rhodium(I) precursors yield the complexes 5 and 6 and the unusual corrinoid 7, depending only on the type of the ancillary ligand employed.