Synthesis and physical properties of carbonylated chlorophyll derivatives

Synthesis of N-methylated unsymmetric porphyrinoids with restricted N-centered chirality from chlorophyll-a

Regioselectively N-methylated chlorophyll-a derivatives were prepared as their cationic and hydrophilic species. Both their epimerically pure samples at the chiral methylated nitrogen atom were obtained, and the stereochemistry was proposed by circular dichroism spectral analysis. This is the first example for restricted N-centered chirality in an unsymmetric chlorin core.

Syntheses of Chalcone-Type Chlorophyll Derivatives Possessing a Bacteriochlorin, Chlorin or Porphyrin π-System and Their Optical Properties

C3-(Trans-2-arylethenyl)carbonylated chlorophyll derivatives possessing a bacteriochlorin or chlorin π-system were synthesized by cross-aldol (Claisen-Schmidt) condensation of methyl pyrobacteriopheophorbide-a or 3-acetyl-3-devinyl-pyropheophorbide-a bearing the C3-acetyl group with p-(un)substituted benzaldehydes under basic conditions. The corresponding porphyrin-type chlorophyll derivatives were prepared by the oxidation (17,18-didehydrogenation) of the chlorin-type. Their Qy absorption and fluorescence emission maxima in dichloromethane correlated well with Hammett substituent constants of the p-substituents. Several electron-withdrawing p-substituents suppressed the emission due to photoinduced electron transfer quenching in a molecule. The substitution sensitivities for their maxima and fluorescence quantum yields decreased in the order of bacteriochlorin-, chlorin- and porphyrin-type derivatives.

Synthesis of chlorophyll-c derivatives by modifying natural chlorophyll-a

Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was extracted from cyanobacterial cells and modified to methyl pyropheophorbide-a. The 3-vinyl-chlorin was transformed to zinc complex of the corresponding 3-acetyl-porphyrin. The zinc porphyrin was oxidized to give cis-7,8- and 17,18-dihydroxy-chlorins as well cis-7,8-cis-17,18-tetrahydroxybacteriochlorin. After zinc-demetallation, the isolated cis-7,8- and 17,18-diols were reduced at the 3-acetyl group and triply dehydrated under acidic conditions to afford two regioisomeric 3-vinyl-porphyrins, methyl divinyl-pyroprotopheophorbide-a possessing the 8-vinyl group and 17-propionate residue (one of the divinyl-protoChl-a derivatives) and methyl pyropheophorbide-c 1 possessing the 8-ethyl group and 17-acrylate residue (one of the Chl-c 1 derivatives), respectively. The resulting 7,8,17,18-tetrol was reduced and then acidically treated, giving five-fold dehydrated free base porphyrin, methyl pyropheophorbide-c 2 possessing the 3,8-divinyl groups and 17-acrylate residue (one of the Chl-c 2 derivatives). The visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of the three semi-synthetic 3-vinyl-porphyrins in dichloromethane were compared with those of the corresponding 8-ethyl-porphyrin bearing the 17-propionate residue, methyl pyroprotopheophorbide-a (one of the protoChl-a derivatives). The Soret and Qy absorption maxima were shifted to longer wavelengths with an increase of π-conjugation in a molecule: protoChl-a (8-CH2CH3/17-CH2CH2COOCH3) < divinyl-protoChl-a (8-CH=CH2/17-CH2CH2COOCH3) < Chl-c 1 (8-CH2CH3/17-CH=CHCOOCH3) < Chl-c 2 derivatives (8-CH=CH2/17-CH=CHCOOCH3). The 17(1),17(2)-dehydrogenation broadened the absorption bands. The emission maxima were bathochromically shifted in the same order. The reaction mechanism of the present dehydration indicates that the biosynthetic pathway of Chls-c would include the hydroxylation of the 17-propionate reside at the 17(1)-position and successive dehydration to the 17-acrylate residue.