Crown porphyrins

Long-range electrostatic effects from intramolecular Lewis acid binding influence the redox properties of cobalt-porphyrin complexes

A CoII-porphyrin complex (1) with an appended aza-crown ether for Lewis acid (LA) binding was synthesized and characterized. NMR spectroscopy and electrochemistry show that cationic group I and II LAs (i.e., Li+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+) bind to the aza-crown ether group of 1. The binding constant for Li+ is comparable to that observed for a free aza-crown ether. LA binding causes an anodic shift in the CoII/CoI couple of between 10 and 40 mV and also impacts the CoIII/CoII couple. The magnitude of the anodic shift of the CoII/CoI couple varies linearly with the strength of the LA as determined by the pKa of the corresponding metal-aqua complex, with dications giving larger shifts than monocations. The extent of the anodic shift of the CoII/CoI couple also increases as the ionic strength of the solution decreases. This is consistent with electric field effects being responsible for the changes in the redox properties of 1 upon LA binding and provides a novel method to tune the reduction potential. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the bound LA is 5.6 to 6.8 Å away from the CoII ion, demonstrating that long-range electrostatic effects, which do not involve changes to the primary coordination sphere, are responsible for the variations in redox chemistry. Compound 1 was investigated as a CO2 reduction electrocatalyst and shows high activity but rapid decomposition.

Tying a knot between crown ethers and porphyrins

Porphyrins and crown ether hybrids have emerged as a promising class of molecules composed of elements of a tetrapyrrole macrocycle and an oligo(ethylene glycol) segment. These hybrid systems constitute a broad group of compounds, including crowned porphyrins, crownphyrins, and calixpyrrole-crown ether systems forming Pacman complexes with transition metals. Their unique nature accustoms them as excellent ligands and hosts capable of binding guest molecules/ions, but also to undergo unusual transformations, such as metal-induced expansion/contraction. Depending on the design of the particular hybrid, they present unique features involving intriguing redox chemistry, interesting optical properties, and reactivity towards transition metals. In this perspective article, the overview of both the early designs of porphyrin-crown ether hybrids, as well as the most recent advances in the synthesis and characterisation of this remarkable group of macrocyclic systems, are addressed. The discussion covers the strategies employed in synthesising these systems, including cyclisation reactions, self-assembly, and their remarkable reactivity. The potential applications of porphyrin-crown ether hybrids are also highlighted. Moreover, the discussion identifies the challenges associated with synthesising and characterising hybrids, outlining the possible future directions.

Allosteric Guest Binding in Chiral Zirconium(IV) Double Decker Porphyrin Cages

Chiral zirconium(IV) double cage sandwich complex Zr(1)2 has been synthesized in one step from porphyrin cage H21. Zr(1)2 was obtained as a racemate, which was resolved by HPLC and the enantiomers were isolated in >99.5 % ee. Their absolute configurations were assigned on the basis of X-ray crystallography and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) experiments on the enantiomers of Zr(1)2 revealed that the chirality around the zirconium center is propagated throughout the whole cage structure. The axial conformational chirality of the double cage complex displayed a VCD fingerprint similar to the one observed previously for a related chiral cage compound with planar and point chirality. Zr(1)2 shows fluorescence, which is quenched when viologen guests bind in its cavities. The binding of viologen and dihydroxybenzene derivatives in the two cavities of Zr(1)2 occurs with negative allostery, the cooperativity factors α (=4 K2/K1) being as low as 0.0076 for the binding of N,N'-dimethylviologen. These allosteric effects are attributed to a pinching of the second cavity as a result of guest binding in the first cavity.

Design, synthesis and spectroscopic properties of crown ether-capped dibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes

The first crown ether-capped dibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes (DBTAAs), featuring two macrocyclic binding sites fixed in a face-to-face orientation, were synthesized in satisfactory 26–28% isolated yields. Direct N-alkylation of 1,4,10-trioxa-7,13-diazacyclopentadecane by symmetric DBTAA derivatives bearing bromoalkoxy pendants proceed smoothly at a reasonable level of dilution (1.25 mM). The structures were fully characterized by HR-ESIMS, FTIR-ATR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis.

Next-Generation D2 -Symmetric Chiral Porphyrins for Cobalt(II)-Based Metalloradical Catalysis: Catalyst Engineering by Distal Bridging

Novel D2 -symmetric chiral amidoporphyrins with alkyl bridges across two chiral amide units on both sides of the porphyrin plane (designated "HuPhyrin") have been effectively constructed in a modular fashion to permit variation of the bridge length. The CoII complexes of HuPhyrin, [Co(HuPhyrin)], represent new-generation metalloradical catalysts where the metal-centered d-radical is situated inside a cavity-like ligand with a more rigid chiral environment and enhanced hydrogen-bonding capability. As demonstrated with cyclopropanation and aziridination as model reactions, the bridged [Co(HuPhyrin)] functions notably different from the open catalysts, exhibiting significant enhancement in both reactivity and stereoselectivity. Furthermore, the length of the distal alkyl bridge can have a remarkable influence on the catalytic properties.

Porphyrin cage compounds based on glycoluril – from enzyme mimics to functional molecular machines

This Feature Article gives an overview of the application of glycoluril-based porphyrin cage compounds in host–guest chemistry, allosterically controlled self-assembly, biomimetic catalysis, and polymer encoding.

Peripherally Metalated Porphyrins with Applications in Catalysis, Molecular Electronics and Biomedicine

Porphyrins are conjugated, stable chromophores with a central core that binds a variety of metal ions and an easily functionalized peripheral framework. By combining the catalytic, electronic or cytotoxic properties of selected transition metal complexes with the binding and electronic properties of porphyrins, enhanced characteristics of the ensemble are generated. This review article focuses on porphyrins bearing one or more peripheral transition metal complexes and discusses their potential applications in catalysis or biomedicine. Modulation of the electronic properties and intramolecular communication through coordination bond linkages in bis-porphyrin scaffolds is also presented.

Design of porphyrin-based ligands for the assembly of [d-block metal : calcium] bimetallic centers

A secondary binding-site for alkaline-earth cations is introduced on a porphyrin platform to obtain competent bitopicN,O-ligands.

Metal-based optical chemosensors for CN- detection

This critical review focuses on recent advances (2010-2015) in the detection of cyanide anion via metal-based optical chemosensors in which a change in colour and/or fluorescence intensity (or emission wavelength) of a molecular metal complex is determined by the direct interaction of the metal centre with this anion.

Discrete multiporphyrin pseudorotaxane assemblies from di- and tetravalent porphyrin building blocks

Two pairs of divalent and tetravalent porphyrin building blocks carrying the complementary supramolecular crown ether/secondary ammonium ion binding motif have been synthesized and their derived pseudorotaxanes have been studied by a combination of NMR spectroscopy in solution and ESI mass spectrometry in the gas phase. By simple mixing of the components the formation of discrete dimeric and trimeric (metallo)porphyrin complexes predominates, in accordance to binding stoichiometry, while the amount of alternative structures can be neglected. Our results illustrate the power of multivalency to program the multicomponent self-assembly of specific entities into discrete functional nanostructures.

DFT and TD-DFT calculations of axially substituted tin porphyrins and an ethynyl-linked tin porphyrin dimer

Time-dependent density functional theory calculations have been employed to characterize the inter-macrocycle interactions introduced when two tin(IV) porphyrins are axially covalently bonded via an ethynyl linker. The effect of changing the relative orientations of the two metalloporphyrin macrocycles is explored, with particular attention given to electronic states at energies up to the Soret-correlated states in the dimer. Expansion of the Gouterman four orbital approach for the monomer to an eight orbital approach in the dimer produces a satisfactory analysis. The results are used to examine the feasibility of using such linked structures in photon harvesting schemes.

Zinc-, cadmium-, and mercury-containing one-dimensional tetraphenylporphyrin arrays: a DFT study

Metal-free, Zn-, Cd-, and Hg-containing one-dimensional tetraphenylporphyrin arrays containing up to eight repeat units were modeled at the PBE/def2-SVP level of theory with D3 empirical dispersion correction. Two different configurations--face to face (F) and parallel displaced (P)--were detected, the latter being the most stable for all types of nanoarrays. According to the calculations, the binding that occurs in nanoarrays is mostly due to dispersion, with binding energies of 33-35 kcal/mol seen for the metal-free nanoarrays and energies of 37-40 kcal/mol for the metal-containing ones. The band gaps, estimated as the S0 → S1 excitation energies and extrapolated to the infinite chain limit using the TD-CAM-B3LYP/def2-SVP model, were close to 2 eV; the band gap size was barely dependent on the nature of the metal and the number of repeat units in the nanoarray. The ionization potentials and electron affinities were greatly influenced by the number of repeat units due to delocalization of polarons across each nanoarray. Polaron delocalization and the related reorganization energies were clearly dependent on the nature of the metal. For the metal-free and Zn-containing nanoarrays, the reorganization energies for hole and electron transport decreased linearly with 1/n, where n is the number of repeat units in the nanoaggregate. The reorganization energies therefore reach zero for an infinitely long chain. These energies for Cd- and Hg-containing nanoarrays were found to be one order of magnitude higher for both hole and electron transport due to the localization of polarons in these nanoarrays.

Structural variation from heterometallic heptanuclear or heptanuclear to cubane clusters based on 2-hydroxy-3-ethoxy-benzaldehyde: effects of pH and temperature

Five novel clusters were reported, with results showing that pH and reaction temperatures have a key role in the self-assembly process.

Ruthenium(II) meso-tetra-(benzo-15-crown-5)-porphyrinates: synthesis and spectroscopic investigation

The synthesis of novel ruthenium(II) meso-tetra-(benzo-15-crown-5)-porphyrinates, meso-[( B 15 C 5)4 Por ] Ru ( CO )( MeOH ) (1) and meso-[( B 15 C 5)4 Por ] Ru ( L )2 (2)-(4) (meso-[( B 15 C 5)4 Por ]2-= 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(benzo-15-crown-5)-porphyrinato-dianion; L = pyridine (py), pyrazine (pyz), 4,4′-bipyridyl (4,4′-bpy)), where CO and MeOH , or two N -donor ligands are axially coordinated to the central metal, are reported. The metalation of the free ligand performed by the reaction of Ru 3( CO )12 with meso-[( B 15 C 5)4 Por ] H 2 in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB, bp = 215°C), gives (1) in a high yield. The synthesis of (2)-(4) involves the decarbonylation of (1) with trimethylamine N -oxide (( CH 3)3 NO ) in the presence of an excess of the N -donor ligand. The coordination of the axially bonded ligands is evidenced by different spectroscopic data.

Benzo-9-crown-3 substituted phenyl porphyrin

The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of two new substituted tetraphenyl-porphyrins with one or two benzo-9-crown-3 appended units are described.

Molecular recognition of organic ammonium ions in solution using synthetic receptors

Ammonium ions are ubiquitous in chemistry and molecular biology. Considerable efforts have been undertaken to develop synthetic receptors for their selective molecular recognition. The type of host compounds for organic ammonium ion binding span a wide range from crown ethers to calixarenes to metal complexes. Typical intermolecular interactions are hydrogen bonds, electrostatic and cation-π interactions, hydrophobic interactions or reversible covalent bond formation. In this review we discuss the different classes of synthetic receptors for organic ammonium ion recognition and illustrate the scope and limitations of each class with selected examples from the recent literature. The molecular recognition of ammonium ions in amino acids is included and the enantioselective binding of chiral ammonium ions by synthetic receptors is also covered. In our conclusion we compare the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of ammonium ion receptors which may help to select the best approach for specific applications.

Polyphosphorylated triphenylenes: synthesis, crystal structure, and selective catechol recognition

Designed as a multivalent hydrogen bond acceptor, new receptors, Discopus 1a,b, were built from a triphenylene core surrounded by six (diaryl)phosphinate groups. An efficient synthesis was developed to prepare these elaborated structures in a high overall yield. The X-ray structure of receptor 1b showed strong cooperative hydrogen bonds with two water molecules and intermolecular CH-pi contacts. In chloroform, Discopus 1a,b displayed recognition properties toward dihydroxybenzenes, selectively forming complexes with catechol derivatives 4a-c in a 1:2 (host:guest) stoichiometry. According to NMR and microcalorimetry titrations, association constants were found in the 30-2837 M(-1) range, which were larger than those reported for curvated catechol receptors (14-120 M(-1)). Interestingly, Discopus present two distinct catechol binding sites. Weak hydrogen bonding between host phosphinates and guest hydroxyl groups was shown by infrared spectroscopy and (31)P NMR. Molecular dynamics simulations and recognition experiments suggested that a stronger hydrogen bond assisted by a pi-interaction between the Discopus core and one catechol molecule could exist within the 1:2 complex.