Ruffling in a Series of Nickel(II) meso-Tetrasubstituted Porphyrins as a Model for the Conserved Ruffling of the Heme of Cytochromes c

Modern optical approaches in redox biology: Genetically encoded sensors and Raman spectroscopy

The objective of the current review is to summarize the current state of optical methods in redox biology. It consists of two parts, the first is dedicated to genetically encoded fluorescent indicators and the second to Raman spectroscopy. In the first part, we provide a detailed classification of the currently available redox biosensors based on their target analytes. We thoroughly discuss the main architecture types of these proteins, the underlying engineering strategies for their development, the biochemical properties of existing tools and their advantages and disadvantages from a practical point of view. Particular attention is paid to fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy as a possible readout technique, since it is less prone to certain artifacts than traditional intensiometric measurements. In the second part, the characteristic Raman peaks of the most important redox intermediates are listed, and examples of how this knowledge can be implemented in biological studies are given. This part covers such fields as estimation of the redox states and concentrations of Fe-S clusters, cytochromes, other heme-containing proteins, oxidative derivatives of thiols, lipids, and nucleotides. Finally, we touch on the issue of multiparameter imaging, in which biosensors are combined with other visualization methods for simultaneous assessment of several cellular parameters.

Pyrrole βC-B-N Fused Porphyrins: Molecular Structures and Opto-Electrochemical Studies

Herein, we report the design, synthesis, structure, and electrochemical study of doubly βC-B-N fused Ni(II) porphyrins (1-trans, 1-cis, 2-trans, and 2-cis). These compounds have been synthesized from A2B2 type dipyridyl Ni(II) porphyrins (Ar=Ph for 1 a; Ar=C6F5 for 2 a) via Lewis base-directed electrophilic aromatic borylation reactions. The solution state structures of these compounds have been established using 1H NMR, 11B NMR, 1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C HSQC, and 19F-13C HSQC NMR techniques. Single crystal X-ray analysis have revealed that 1-trans, 1-cis, and 2-trans adopt ruffled conformations, with alternate meso-carbons on the opposite sides of the mean porphyrin plane. The Soret bands in the absorption spectra of the B-N fused molecules are ~40 nm redshifted compared to unfused Ni(II) porphyrin precursors. The B-N fusion have diminished the redox potential of fused porphyrins. Although 1-trans and 1-cis, show four oxidation processes, 2-trans and 2-cis show only three oxidation processes. DFT studies have revealed that the tetrahedral geometry of the boron has induced a twist in the π-conjugation, which destabilizes the HOMO and stabilizes the LUMO in 1-trans, 1-cis, 2-trans, and 2-cis.

Guest-Stimulated Nonplanar Porphyrins in Flexible Metal-Organic Frameworks

Nonplanar porphyrins with out-of-plane distortions play crucial roles in many biological functions and chemical applications. The artificial construction of nonplanar porphyrins usually involves organic synthesis and modification, which is a highly comprehensive approach. However, incorporating porphyrins into guest-stimulated flexible systems allows to manipulate the porphyrin distortion through simple ad/desorption of guest molecules. Here, a series of porphyrinic zirconium metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is reported that exhibit guest-stimulated breathing behavior. X-Ray diffraction analysis and skeleton deviation plots confirm that the material suffers from porphyrin distortion to form a ruffled geometry under the desorption of guest molecules. Further investigation reveals that not only the degree of nonplanarity can be precisely manipulated but also the partial distortion of porphyrin in a single crystal grain can be readily achieved. As Lewis acidic catalyst, the MOF with nonplanar Co-porphyrin exhibits active properties in catalyzing CO2 /propylene oxide coupling reactions. This porphyrin distortion system provides a powerful tool for manipulating nonplanar porphyrins in MOFs with individual distortion profiles for various advanced applications.

Electrical Conductance and Thermopower of β-Substituted Porphyrin Molecular Junctions─Synthesis and Transport

Molecular junctions offer significant potential for enhancing thermoelectric power generation. Quantum interference effects and associated sharp features in electron transmission are expected to enable the tuning and enhancement of thermoelectric properties in molecular junctions. To systematically explore the effect of quantum interferences, we designed and synthesized two new classes of porphyrins, P1 and P2, with two methylthio anchoring groups in the 2,13- and 2,12-positions, respectively, and their Zn complexes, Zn-P1 and Zn-P2. Past theory suggests that P1 and Zn-P1 feature destructive quantum interference in single-molecule junctions with gold electrodes and may thus show high thermopower, while P2 and Zn-P2 do not. Our detailed experimental single-molecule break-junction studies of conductance and thermopower, the latter being the first ever performed on porphyrin molecular junctions, revealed that the electrical conductance of the P1 and Zn-P1 junctions is relatively close, and the same holds for P2 and Zn-P2, while there is a 6 times reduction in the electrical conductance between P1 and P2 type junctions. Further, we observed that the thermopower of P1 junctions is slightly larger than for P2 junctions, while Zn-P1 junctions show the largest thermopower and Zn-P2 junctions show the lowest. We relate the experimental results to quantum transport theory using first-principles approaches. While the conductance of P1 and Zn-P1 junctions is robustly predicted to be larger than those of P2 and Zn-P2, computed thermopowers depend sensitively on the level of theory and the single-molecule junction geometry. However, the predicted large difference in conductance and thermopower values between Zn-P1 and Zn-P2 derivatives, suggested in previous model calculations, is not supported by our experimental and theoretical findings.

Molecular Interactions Identified by Two-Dimensional Analysis-Detailed Insight into the Molecular Interactions of the Antimalarial Artesunate with the Target Structure β-Hematin by Means of 2D Raman Correlation Spectroscopy

A thorough understanding of the interaction of endoperoxide antimalarial agents with their biological target structures is of utmost importance for the tailored design of future efficient antimalarials. Detailed insights into molecular interactions between artesunate and β-hematin were derived with a combination of resonance Raman spectroscopy, two-dimensional correlation analysis, and density functional theory calculations. Resonance Raman spectroscopy with three distinct laser wavelengths enabled the specific excitation of different chromophore parts of β-hematin. The resonance Raman spectra of the artesunate-β-hematin complexes were thoroughly analyzed with the help of high-resolution and highly sensitive two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. Spectral changes in the peak properties were found with increasing artesunate concentration. Changes in the low-frequency, morphology-sensitive Raman bands indicated a loss in crystallinity of the drug-target complexes. Differences in the high-wavenumber region were assigned to increased distortions of the planarity of the structure of the target molecule due to the appearance of various coexisting alkylation species. Evidence for the appearance of high-valent ferryl-oxo species could be observed with the help of differences in the peak properties of oxidation-state sensitive Raman modes. To support those findings, the relaxed ground-state structures of ten possible covalent mono- and di-meso(Cm)-alkylated hematin-dihydroartemisinyl complexes were calculated using density functional theory. A very good agreement with the experimental peak properties was achieved, and the out-of-plane displacements along the lowest-frequency normal coordinates were investigated by normal coordinate structural decomposition analysis. The strongest changes in all data were observed in vibrations with a high participation of Cm-parts of β-hematin.

Nonplanar porphyrins: synthesis, properties, and unique functionalities

Porphyrins are variously substituted tetrapyrrolic macrocycles, with wide-ranging biological and chemical applications derived from metal chelation in the core and the 18π aromatic surface. Under suitable conditions, the porphyrin framework can deform significantly from regular planar shape, owing to steric overload on the porphyrin periphery or steric repulsion in the core, among other structure modulation strategies. Adopting this nonplanar porphyrin architecture allows guest molecules to interact directly with an exposed core, with guest-responsive and photoactive electronic states of the porphyrin allowing energy, information, atom and electron transfer within and between these species. This functionality can be incorporated and tuned by decoration of functional groups and electronic modifications, with individual deformation profiles adapted to specific key sensing and catalysis applications. Nonplanar porphyrins are assisting breakthroughs in molecular recognition, organo- and photoredox catalysis; simultaneously bio-inspired and distinctly synthetic, these molecules offer a new dimension in shape-responsive host-guest chemistry. In this review, we have summarized the synthetic methods and design aspects of nonplanar porphyrin formation, key properties, structure and functionality of the nonplanar aromatic framework, and the scope and utility of this emerging class towards outstanding scientific, industrial and environmental issues.

Metal Complexes of Porphyrinoids Containing Nonpyrrolic Heterocycles

The replacement of one or more pyrrolic building block(s) of a porphyrin by a nonpyrrolic heterocycle leads to the formation of so-called pyrrole-modified porphyrins (PMPs), porphyrinoids of broad structural variability. The wide range of coordination environments (type, number, charge, and architecture of the donor atoms) that the pyrrole-modified frameworks provide to the central metal ions, the frequent presence of donor atoms at their periphery, and their often observed nonplanarity or conformational flexibility distinguish the complexes of the PMPs clearly from those of the traditional square-planar, dianionic, N₄-coordinating (hydro)porphyrins. Their different coordination properties suggest their utilization in areas beyond which regular metalloporphyrins are suitable. Following a general introduction to the synthetic methodologies available to generate pyrrole-modified porphyrins, their general structure, history, coordination chemistry, and optical properties, this Review highlights the chemical, electronic (optical), and structural differences of specific classes of metalloporphyrinoids containing nonpyrrolic heterocycles. The focus is on macrocycles with similar "tetrapyrrolic" architectures as porphyrins, thusly excluding the majority of expanded porphyrins. We highlight the relevance and application of these metal complexes in biological and technical fields as chemosensors, catalysts, photochemotherapeutics, or imaging agents. This Review provides an introduction to the field of metallo-PMPs as well as a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of the art of their synthesis, structures, and properties. It also aims to provide encouragement for the further study of these intriguing and structurally versatile metalloporphyrinoids.

Photoelectrochemistry of metalloporphyrin-modified GaP semiconductors

Photoelectrosynthetic materials provide a bioinspired approach for using the power of the sun to produce fuels and other value-added chemical products. However, there remains an incomplete understanding of the operating principles governing their performance and thereby effective methods for their assembly. Herein we report the application of metalloporphyrins, several of which are known to catalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction, in forming surface coatings to assemble hybrid photoelectrosynthetic materials featuring an underlying gallium phosphide (GaP) semiconductor as a light capture and conversion component. The metalloporphyrin reagents used in this work contain a 4-vinylphenyl surface-attachment group at the β-position of the porphyrin ring and a first-row transition metal ion (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn) coordinated at the core of the macrocycle. In addition to describing the synthesis, optical, and electrochemical properties of the homogeneous porphyrin complexes, we also report on the photoelectrochemistry of the heterogeneous metalloporphyrin-modified GaP semiconductor electrodes. These hybrid, heterogeneous-homogeneous electrodes are prepared via UV-induced grafting of the homogeneous metalloporphyrin reagents onto the heterogeneous gallium phosphide surfaces. Three-electrode voltammetry measurements performed under controlled lighting conditions enable determination of the open-circuit photovoltages, fill factors, and overall current-voltage responses associated with these composite materials, setting the stage for better understanding charge-transfer and carrier-recombination kinetics at semiconductor|catalyst|liquid interfaces.

Molecular Structure of Nickel Octamethylporphyrin—Rare Experimental Evidence of a Ruffling Effect in Gas Phase

The structure of a free nickel (II) octamethylporphyrin (NiOMP) molecule was determined for the first time through a combined gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and mass spectrometry (MS) experiment, as well as through quantum chemical (QC) calculations. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations do not provide an unambiguous answer about the planarity or non-planar distortion of the NiOMP skeleton. The GED refinement in such cases is non-trivial. Several approaches to the inverse problem solution were used. The obtained results allow us to argue that the ruffling effect is manifested in the NiOMP molecule. The minimal critical distance between the central atom of the metal and nitrogen atoms of the coordination cavity that provokes ruffling distortion in metal porphyrins is about 1.96 Å.

The Biologically Relevant Coordination Chemistry of Iron and Nitric Oxide: Electronic Structure and Reactivity

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule that is involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological events in biology. Metal coordination chemistry, especially with iron, is at the heart of many biological transformations involving NO. A series of heme proteins, nitric oxide synthases (NOS), soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and nitrophorins, are responsible for the biosynthesis, sensing, and transport of NO. Alternatively, NO can be generated from nitrite by heme- and copper-containing nitrite reductases (NIRs). The NO-bearing small molecules such as nitrosothiols and dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) can serve as an alternative vehicle for NO storage and transport. Once NO is formed, the rich reaction chemistry of NO leads to a wide variety of biological activities including reduction of NO by heme or non-heme iron-containing NO reductases and protein post-translational modifications by DNICs. Much of our understanding of the reactivity of metal sites in biology with NO and the mechanisms of these transformations has come from the elucidation of the geometric and electronic structures and chemical reactivity of synthetic model systems, in synergy with biochemical and biophysical studies on the relevant proteins themselves. This review focuses on recent advancements from studies on proteins and model complexes that not only have improved our understanding of the biological roles of NO but also have provided foundations for biomedical research and for bio-inspired catalyst design in energy science.

Heme-Edge Residues Modulate Signal Transduction within a Bifunctional Homo-Dimeric Sensor Protein

Bifunctional enzymes, which contain two domains with opposing enzymatic activities, are widely distributed in bacteria, but the regulatory mechanism(s) that prevent futile cycling are still poorly understood. The recently described bifunctional enzyme, DcpG, exhibits unusual heme properties and is surprisingly able to differentially regulate its two cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) metabolic domains in response to heme gaseous ligands. Mutagenesis of heme-edge residues was used to probe the heme pocket and resulted in decreased O₂ dissociation kinetics, identifying roles for these residues in modulating DcpG gas sensing. In addition, the resonance Raman spectra of the DcpG wild type and heme-edge mutants revealed that the mutations alter the heme electrostatic environment, vinyl group conformations, and spin state population. Using small-angle X-ray scattering and negative stain electron microscopy, the heme-edge mutations were demonstrated to cause changes to the protein conformation, which resulted in altered signaling transduction and enzyme kinetics. These findings provide insights into molecular interactions that regulate DcpG gas sensing as well as mechanisms that have evolved to control multidomain bacterial signaling proteins.

PorphyStruct: A Digital Tool for the Quantitative Assignment of Non-Planar Distortion Modes in Four-Membered Porphyrinoids

PorphyStruct, a new digital tool for the analysis of non‐planar distortion modes of different porphyrinoids, and its application to corrole structures is reported. The program makes use of the normal‐coordinate structure decomposition technique (NSD) and employs sets of normal modes equivalent to those established for porphyrins in order to describe the out‐of‐plane dislocation pattern of perimeter atoms from corroles, norcorroles, porphycenes and other porphyrinoids quantitatively and in analogy to the established terminology. A comparative study of 17 porphyrin structures shows very similar results to the original NSD analysis and no systematic error. Application to corroles is successful and reveals the necessity to implement an extended basis of normal modes for a large share of experimental structures. The results frequently show the concomitant occurence of several modes but remain interpretable. For group XI metal corroles the phenomenon of supersaddling was unravelled, allowing for more in‐depths discussions of structure‐function correlations.

A Dynamic Substrate is Required for MhuD-Catalyzed Degradation of Heme to Mycobilin

The noncanonical heme oxygenase MhuD from Mycobacterium tuberculosis binds a heme substrate that adopts a dynamic equilibrium between planar and out-of-plane ruffled conformations. MhuD degrades this substrate to an unusual mycobilin product via successive monooxygenation and dioxygenation reactions. This article establishes a causal relationship between heme substrate dynamics and MhuD-catalyzed heme degradation, resulting in a refined enzymatic mechanism. UV/vis absorption (Abs) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) data demonstrated that a second-sphere substitution favoring the population of the ruffled heme conformation changed the rate-limiting step of the reaction, resulting in a measurable buildup of the monooxygenated meso-hydroxyheme intermediate. In addition, UV/vis Abs and ESI-MS data for a second-sphere variant that favored the planar substrate conformation showed that this change altered the enzymatic mechanism resulting in an α-biliverdin product. Single-turnover kinetic analyses for three MhuD variants revealed that the rate of heme monooxygenation depends upon the population of the ruffled substrate conformation. These kinetic analyses also revealed that the rate of meso-hydroxyheme dioxygenation by MhuD depends upon the population of the planar substrate conformation. Thus, the ruffled heme conformation supports rapid heme monooxygenation by MhuD, but further oxygenation to the mycobilin product is inhibited. In contrast, the planar substrate conformation exhibits altered heme monooxygenation regiospecificity followed by rapid oxygenation of meso-hydroxyheme. Altogether, these data yielded a refined enzymatic mechanism for MhuD where access to both substrate conformations is needed for rapid incorporation of three oxygen atoms into heme yielding mycobilin.

Unique Electronic Structures of the Highly Ruffled Hemes in Heme-Degrading Enzymes of Staphylococcus aureus, IsdG and IsdI, by Resonance Raman and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopies

Staphylococcus aureus uses IsdG and IsdI to convert heme into a mixture of staphylobilin isomers, 15-oxo-β-bilirubin and 5-oxo-δ-bilirubin, formaldehyde, and iron. The highly ruffled heme found in the heme-IsdI and IsdG complexes has been proposed to be responsible for the unique heme degradation products. We employed resonance Raman (RR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies to examine the coordination and electronic structures of heme bound to IsdG and IsdI. Heme complexed to IsdG and IsdI is coordinated by a neutral histidine. The trans ligand is hydroxide in the ferric alkaline form of both proteins. In the ferric neutral form at pH 6.0, heme is six-coordinated with water as the sixth ligand for IsdG and is in the mixture of the five-coordinated and six-coordinated species for IsdI. In the ferrous CO-bound form, CO is strongly hydrogen bonded with a distal residue. The marker lines, ν₂ and ν₃, appear at frequencies that are distinct from other proteins having planar hemes. The EPR spectra for the ferric hydroxide and cyanide states might be explained by assuming the thermal mixing of the d-electron configurations, (d_xy)²(d_xz,d_yz)³ and (d_xz,d_yz)⁴(d_xy)¹. The fraction for the latter becomes larger for the ferric cyanide form. In the ferric neutral state at pH 6.0, the quantum mechanical mixing of the high and intermediate spin configurations might explain the peculiar frequencies of ν₂ and ν₃ in the RR spectra. The heme ruffling imposed by IsdG and IsdI gives rise to unique electronic structures of heme, which are expected to modulate the first and subsequent steps of the heme oxygenation.

Siamese-Twin Porphyrin Goes Platinum: Group 10 Monometallic, Homobimetallic, and Heterobimetallic Complexes

A series of Pt^II-based monometallic (H₂PtL), homobimetallic (Pt₂L), and heterobimetallic (NiPtL and PdPtL) group 10 complexes of the previously established expanded twin porphyrin (H₄L) were prepared. Structural characterization of the bimetallic Pt^II series (Pt₂L, NiPtL, and PdPtL) revealed their similar general structures, with slight differences correlated to the ion size. An improvement of the metal-ion insertion process also allowed efficient preparation of the known Pd₂L complex, and the novel heterobimetallic NiPdL complex was also structurally characterized. UV-vis spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and (spectro)electrochemistry were used to characterize the complexes; the electronic properties followed largely established lines for metal complexes of the twin porphyrin, except that the Pt^II-based systems exhibited more complex UV-vis spectral signatures. MCD spectra accompanied by density functional theory (DFT)/time-dependent DFT computations (TDDFT) rationalize the origins of the optical features of the twin porphyrin. The presence of the nonplanar, nonaromatic macrocyclic π system with conjugation pathways confined to each half of the molecule could be visualized. Significant pyrazole(π) → pyrrole(π*) charge-transfer character was predicted for several transitions in the visible region. This study adds to our fundamental understanding of the formation, structure, and electronic structure of bimetallic complexes of this class of expanded metalloporphyrins containing nonpyrrolic moieties.

Short-Chained Anthracene Strapped Porphyrins and their Endoperoxides

The syntheses of short-chained anthracene-strapped porphyrins and their Zn(II)complexes are reported. The key synthetic step is a [2+2] condensation between a dipyrromethane and an anthracene bisaldehyde, 2,2'-((anthracene-9,10-diylbis(methylene))bis(oxy))dibenzaldehyde. Following exposure to white light, self-sensitized singlet oxygen and the anthracene moieties underwent [4+2] cycloaddition reactions to yield the corresponding endoperoxides. 1H NMR studies demonstrate that the endoperoxide readily formed in [D]chloroform and decayed at 85 °C. X-ray crystallography and absorption spectroscopy were used to confirm macrocyclic distortion in the parent strapped porphyrins and endoperoxides. Additionally, X-ray crystallography indicated that endoperoxide formation occurred exclusively on the outside face of the anthracene moiety.

Crystal structures of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octa-bromo-5,10,15,20-tetra-kis-(penta-fluoro-phen-yl)porphyrin as the chloro-form monosolvate and tetra-hydro-furan monosolvate

The crystal structures of the title compounds, two solvates (CHCl3 and THF) of a symmetric and highly substituted porphyrin, C44H2Br8F20N4 or OBrTPFPP, are described. These structures each feature a non-planar porphyrin ring, exhibiting a similar conformation of the strained ring independent of solvent identity. These distorted porphyrins are able to form hydrogen bonds and sub-van der Waals halogen inter-actions with enclathrated solvent; supra-molecular inter-actions of proximal macrocycles are additionally affected by solvent choice. The crystal studied for compound 1·CHCl3 was refined as an inversion twin. One penta-fluoro-phenyl group was modelled as disordered over two sites [occupancy ratio = 0.462 (7):0.538 (7)]. The chloro-form solvate was also modelled as disordered over two orientations [occupancy ratio = 0.882 (7): 0.118 (7).

Molecular flattening effect to enhance the conductivity of fused porphyrin tape thin films

The straightforward synthesis of directly fused porphyrins (porphyrin tapes) from 5,15-diphenyl porphyrinato nickel(ii) complexes with different substituents on the phenyl rings is achieved while processing from the gas phase. The porphyrin tapes, exhibiting NIR absorption, are readily obtained in thin film form. The gas phase approach cuts the need for solubilizing groups allowing for the first time the study of their conductivity according to the substituent. 2-Point probe and conductivity AFM measurements evidence that reducing the size of the meso substituents, phenyl < mesityl < di(3,5-tert-butyl)phenyl < di(2,6-dodecyloxy)phenyl, improves the thin film conductivity by several orders of magnitude. Density functional theory and gel permeation chromatography, correlate this improvement to changes in the intermolecular distances and molecular geometry. Furthermore, the oCVD of porphyrins with free ortho-phenyl positions causes intramolecular dehydrogenative side reactions inducing a complete planarization of the molecule. This molecular flattening drastically affects the π–π stacking between the porphyrins further enhancing the electronic properties of the films.

This work reports the strong correlation between the conductivity of fused porphyrins thin films and the porphyrin substituents.

Investigating the Impact of Conformational Molecular Engineering on the Crystal Packing of Cavity Forming Porphyrins

Herein we report the synthesis of 5,10,15,20-tetraaryl-(X)-substituted-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrins (OETArXPs) and a structural investigation of their solid-state properties via small molecule X-ray diffraction. A series of halogen (fluorine to iodine), nitrogenous (azido, cyano), alkyl (TMS-acetylene and acetylene), and chained (benzyloxy) porphyrins were chosen as the initial target molecules. Following this, a selection of tetravalent metal complexes [Cu(II), Ni(II), and Pd(II)] based on these porphyrins were synthesized to allow for an investigation of the effects of metal complexes on the structural properties of these highly substituted porphyrins. The size of the halogen atom affects the potential of intermolecular interactions and the resulting crystal packing in these 4-halo-OETArXP complexes. The fluorine series have an equal preference for alkyl or aryl groups (ortho-hydrogen), the chlorine series favor interactions between the alkyl groups, and the bromine appears to favor the aryl (ortho- and meta-hydrogens). This results in an extensive cupping pattern in the unit cell. For the 2,6-halo-OETArXP it was established that the change in position alters the types of the intermolecular contacts toward face-to-edge or face-to-face interactions and alters the packing patterns observed. Within the 4-benzyloxy-OETArXP series the meso-substituent favors interacting with the core of the porphyrin macrocycle. The 4-cyano-OETArXP is a suitable hydrogen-bond acceptor and results in an interesting Z-shape network. Additionally, it was highlighted that solvent effects play a much larger role in crystal packing than intermolecular/intramolecular interaction or metal(II) center substitution. This is accompanied by a study using both the azide- and acetylene-OETArXPs as a base molecule to allow for a quick one-step reaction for the generation of a variety of functionalized compounds. Using a copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction, we were able to append hydrogen bonding functionalities to the OETArXPs framework in high yields. The crystal packing images included in this work shows the potential to create selective and functional receptor sites based on free base porphyrins. However, insofar as analytical measurements indicate, the design of such a free base porphyrin through crystal engineering has not yet been realized. The variety of porphyrin packing arrangements herein indicates the need for further studies.

Crystal structure of (15,20-bis-(2,3,4,5,6-penta-fluoro-phen-yl)-5,10-{(4-methyl-pyridine-3,5-di-yl)bis-[(sulfanediyl-methyl-ene)[1,1'-biphen-yl]-4',2-di-yl]}porphyrinato)nickel(II) di-chloro-methane x-solvate (x > 1/2)

The title compound, [Ni(C64H33F10N5S2)]·xCH2Cl2, consists of discrete NiII porphyrin complexes, in which the five-coordinate NiII cations are in a distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry. The four porphyrin nitro-gen atoms are located in the basal plane of the pyramid, whereas the pyridine N atom is in the apical position. The porphyrin plane is strongly distorted and the NiII cation is located above this plane by 0.241 (3) Å and shifted in the direction of the coordinating pyridine nitro-gen atom. The pyridine ring is not perpendicular to the N4 plane of the porphyrin moiety, as observed for related compounds. In the crystal, the complexes are linked via weak C-H⋯F hydrogen bonds into zigzag chains propagating in the [001] direction. Within this arrangement cavities are formed, in which highly disordered di-chloro-methane solvate mol-ecules are located. No reasonable structural model could be found to describe this disorder and therefore the contribution of the solvent to the electron density was removed using the SQUEEZE option in PLATON [Spek (2015 ▸). Acta Cryst. C71, 9-18].

Solution and crystal phase resonance Raman spectroscopy: Valuable tools to unveil the structure and function of heme proteins

In the present review, examples are provided illustrating the application of resonance Raman microscopy to heme protein single crystals to highlight the artifacts induced by the crystallization process or the conformational alteration induced by cooling. Moreover, the structural information determined from the RR spectra of heme proteins in solution and crystals is compared to that obtained from their X-ray structures to show how the combined spectroscopic/crystallographic approach is a powerful weapon in the structural biologist’s armamentarium.

Crystal structure of (15,20-bis-(2,3,4,5,6-penta-fluoro-phen-yl)-5,10-{(pyridine-3,5-di-yl)bis-[(sulfane-diyl-methyl-ene)[1,1'-biphen-yl]-4',2-di-yl]}porph-yrin-ato)nickel(II) di-chloro-methane x-solvate (x > 1/2) showing a rare CN5 coordination

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Ni(C63H31F10N5S2)]·xCH2Cl2 (x > 1/2), consists of Ni-porphyrin complexes that are located in general positions and di-chloro-methane solvent mol-ecules that are disordered around centers of inversion. The NiII ions are in a square-pyramidal (CN5) coordination, with four porphyrin N atoms in the equatorial and a pyridine N atom in the apical position and are shifted out of the porphyrine N4 plane towards the coordinating pyridine N atom. The pyridine substituent is not exactly perpendicular to the N4 plane with an angle of inter-section between the planes planes of 80.48 (6)°. The di-chloro-methane solvent mol-ecules are hydrogen bonded to one of the four porphyrine N atoms. Two complexes are linked into dimers by two symmetry-equivalent C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds. These dimers are closely packed, leading to cavities in which additional di-chloro-methane solvent mol-ecules are embedded. These solvent mol-ecules are disordered and because no reasonable split model was found, the data were corrected for disordered solvent using the PLATON SQUEEZE routine [Spek (2015 ▸). Acta Cryst. C71, 9-18].

Structure and conformation of photosynthetic pigments and related compounds. 15. Conformational analysis of chlorophyll derivatives – implications for hydroporphyrinsin vivo

Controlling the function of chlorophylls depends in part on their 3D conformation. The NSD program presents a powerful tool to identify the distortion modes in phytochlorins.

Diboron Porphyrins: The Raman Signature of the In-Plane Tetragonal Elongation of the Macrocycle

We describe an unusual in-plane type of porphyrin core distortion, tetragonal elongation (TE), observed experimentally in diboron porphyrins. The vibrational spectra of several of these complexes exhibit shifts that we have assigned to this TE distortion by comparing experimental spectra with DFT computational findings. The influence of TE in porphyrin systems was isolated using DFT analysis of the well-known model compounds Ni(II)porphine and Zn(II)porphine, with the macrocycle ring constrained to eliminate the influence of out-of-plane (OOP) distortions. A significant down-shift in frequencies was observed for porphyrin normal vibrational modes, particularly the in-plane A_1g/B_1g modes that are dominated by contributions from stretching and bending of C_α-C_m coordinates. In contrast, TE had little effect on the v(Pyr_halfring) and δ(Pyr_def) modes, though the lowered symmetry of the system resulted in significant splitting of the B_2u and B_3u modes. The impact of the TE distortion upon the diboron porphyrin vibrational spectrum was probed experimentally using Raman spectroscopy of B₂O₂(BCl₃)₂(TTP), B₂OF₂(TTP), and B₂OPhOH₂(TTP) (TTP = 5,10,15,20-(tetra- p-tolyl)porphyrin). Comparing the experimentally obtained spectral signatures to the computational findings allowed us to assign the large shifts observed for the v₂ and v₃ modes to the TE distortion in diboron porphyrins.

Excited-state absorption in tetrapyridyl porphyrins: comparing real-time and quadratic-response time-dependent density functional theory

Three meso-substituted tetrapyridyl porphyrins (free base, Ni(ii), and Cu(ii)) were investigated for their optical limiting (OL) capabilities using real-time (RT-), linear-response (LR-), and quadratic-response (QR-) time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods. These species are experimentally known to display a prominent reverse saturable absorption feature between the Q and B bands of the ground-state absorption (GSA), which has been attributed to increased excited-state absorption (ESA) relative to GSA. A recently developed RT-TDDFT based method for calculating ESA from a LR-TDDFT density was utilized with eight exchange-correlation functionals (BLYP, PBE, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, PBE0, M06, BHLYP, and BHandH) and contrasted with calculations of ESA using QR-TDDFT with five exchange-correlation functionals (BLYP, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, BHLYP, and BHandH). This allowed for comparison between functionals with varying amounts of exact exchange as well as between the ability of RT-TDDFT and QR-TDDFT to reproduce OL behavior in porphyrin systems. The absorption peak positions and intensities for GSA and ESA are significantly impacted by the choice of DFT functional, with the most critical factor identified as the amount of exact exchange in the functional form. Calculating ESA with QR-TDDFT is found to be significantly more sensitive to the amount of exact exchange than GSA and ESA with RT-TDDFT, as well as GSA with LR-TDDFT. An analogous behavior is also demonstrated for the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon coronene. This is problematic when using the same approximate functional for calculation of both GSA and ESA, as the LR- and QR-TDDFT excitation energies will not have similar errors. Overall, the RT-TDDFT method with hybrid functionals reproduces the OL features for the porphyrin systems studied here and is a viable computational approach for efficient screening of molecular complexes for OL properties.

Halogenated earth abundant metalloporphyrins as photostable sensitizers for visible-light-driven water oxidation in a neutral phosphate buffer solution

Very photostable tetrachloro-metalloporphyrins were developed as sensitizers for visible-light-driven water oxidation coupled to cobalt based water-oxidation catalysts in concentrated (0.1 M) phosphate buffer solution. Potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) acts as a sacrificial electron acceptor to oxidize the metalloporphyrin photosensitizers in their excited states. The radical cations thus produced drive the cobalt based water-oxidation catalysts: Co4O4-cubane and Co(NO3)2 as pre-catalyst for cobalt-oxide (CoOx) nanoparticles. Two different metalloporphyrins (Cu(ii) and Ni(ii)) both showed very high photostability in the photocatalytic reaction, as compared to non-halogenated analogues. This indicates that photostability primarily depends on the substitution of the porphyrin macrocycle, not on the central metal. Furthermore, our molecular design strategy not only positively increases the electrochemical potential by 120-140 mV but also extends the absorption spectrum up to ∼600 nm. As a result, the solar photon capturing abilities of halogenated metalloporphyrins (Cu(ii) and Ni(ii)) are comparable to that of the natural photosynthetic pigment, chlorophyll a. We successfully demonstrate long-term (>3 h) visible-light-driven water oxidation using our molecular system based on earth-abundant (first-row transition) metals in concentrated phosphate buffer solution.

Synthesis of a Family of Highly Substituted Porphyrin Thioethers via Nitro Displacement in 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-Octaethyl-5,10,15,20-tetranitroporphyrin

A series of highly substituted porphyrin thioethers was synthesized from 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-5,10,15,20-tetranitroporphyrin (H₂OETNP). The reactions proceeded via a S_NAr mechanism with a broad range of aromatic thiols in the presence of a base. This is a rapid way to prepare a large variety of meso-substituted porphyrins from only one precursor. Single crystal X-ray analysis revealed that these new porphyrin thioethers are highly distorted, exhibiting conformational properties that are distinctive of both meso-sulfur substitution and steric overcrowding in general. Additionally, denitration of H₂OETNP under basic conditions was investigated, yielding products of stepwise desubstitution. This allowed a comparative X-ray crystallographic study to delineate the successive structural effects of an increasing degree of nitro substitution in the complete series of nitro-substituted octaethylporphyrins.

Single-Molecule Investigations of Conformation Adaptation of Porphyrins on Surfaces

The porphyrin macrocyclic core features dynamic conformational transformations in free space because of its structural flexibility. Once attached to a substrate, the molecule-substrate interaction often restricts this flexibility and stabilizes the porphyrin in a specific conformation. Here using molecular dynamic and density-functional theory simulations and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we investigated the conformation relaxation and stabilization processes of two porphyrin derivatives (5,15-dibromophenyl-10,20-diphenylporphyrin, Br₂TPP, and 5,15-diphenylporphyrin, DPP) adsorbed on Au(111) and Pb(111) surfaces. We found that Br₂TPP adopts either dome or saddle conformations on Au(111) but only the saddle conformation on Pb(111), whereas DPP deforms to a ruffled conformation on Au(111). We also resolved the structural transformation pathway of Br₂TPP from the free-space conformations to the surface-anchored conformations. These findings provide unprecedented insights revealing the conformation adaptation process. We anticipate that our results may be useful for controlling the conformation of surface-anchored porphyrin molecules.

Spectroelectrochemical Investigation of the One-Electron Reduction of Nonplanar Nickel(II) Porphyrins

The electrochemical reduction of a series of nickel porphyrins with an increasing number of substituents was investigated in acetonitrile. A one-electron reduction of [5,15-bis(1-ethylpropyl)porphyrinato]nickel(II) leads to π-anion radicals and to efficient formation of phlorin anions, presumably by disproportionation and subsequent protonation of the doubly reduced species. The phlorin anion was identified by using cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis and resonance Raman spectroelectrochemistry, complemented by quantum-chemical calculations to assign the spectral signatures. The theoretical analysis of the potential-energy landscape of the singly reduced species suggests a thermally activated intersystem crossing that populates the quartet state and thus lowers the energy barrier towards disproportionation channels. Structure-reactivity correlations are investigated by considering different substitution patterns of the investigated nickel(II) porphyrin cores, that is, for the porphyrin with additional β-aryl ([5,15-bis(1-ethylpropyl)-2,8,12,18-tetra(p-tolyl)porphyrinato]nickel(II)) and meso-alkyl substitution ([5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-ethylpropyl)porphyrinato]nickel(II)), no phlorin anion formation was observed under electrochemical conditions. This observation is correlated either to kinetic inhibition of the disproportionation reaction or to lower reactivity of the subsequently formed doubly reduced species towards protonation.

Conformational control of cofactors in nature - the influence of protein-induced macrocycle distortion on the biological function of tetrapyrroles

Tetrapyrrole-containing proteins are one of the most fundamental classes of enzymes in nature and it remains an open question to give a chemical rationale for the multitude of biological reactions that can be catalyzed by these pigment-protein complexes. There are many fundamental processes where the same (i.e., chemically identical) porphyrin cofactor is involved in chemically quite distinct reactions. For example, heme is the active cofactor for oxygen transport and storage (hemoglobin, myoglobin) and for the incorporation of molecular oxygen in organic substrates (cytochrome P450). It is involved in the terminal oxidation (cytochrome c oxidase) and the metabolism of H2O2 (catalases and peroxidases) and catalyzes various electron transfer reactions in cytochromes. Likewise, in photosynthesis the same chlorophyll cofactor may function as a reaction center pigment (charge separation) or as an accessory pigment (exciton transfer) in light harvesting complexes (e.g., chlorophyll a). Whilst differences in the apoprotein sequences alone cannot explain the often drastic differences in physicochemical properties encountered for the same cofactor in diverse protein complexes, a critical factor for all biological functions must be the close structural interplay between bound cofactors and the respective apoprotein in addition to factors such as hydrogen bonding or electronic effects. Here, we explore how nature can use the same chemical molecule as a cofactor for chemically distinct reactions using the concept of conformational flexibility of tetrapyrroles. The multifaceted roles of tetrapyrroles are discussed in the context of the current knowledge on distorted porphyrins. Contemporary analytical methods now allow a more quantitative look at cofactors in protein complexes and the development of the field is illustrated by case studies on hemeproteins and photosynthetic complexes. Specific tetrapyrrole conformations are now used to prepare bioengineered designer proteins with specific catalytic or photochemical properties.

Metalloporphines: Dimers and Trimers

Procedures for the purification and subsequent crystallization of the slightly soluble four-coordinate metallporphines, the simplest possible porphyrin derivatives, are described. Crystals of the porphine derivatives of cobalt(II), copper(II), platinum(II), and two polymorphs of zinc(II) were obtained. Analysis of the crystal and molecular structures shows that all except the platinum(II) derivative form an unusual trimeric species in the solid state. The isomorphous cobalt(II), copper(II), and one zinc(II) polymorph pack in the unit cell to form dimers as well as the trimers. Interplanar spacings between porphine rings are similar in both the dimers and trimers and range between 3.24 and 3.37 Å. Porphine rings are strongly overlapped with lateral shifts between ring centers in both the dimers and trimers with values between 1.52 and 1.70 Å or in Category S as originally defined by Scheidt and Lee. Periodic trends in the M-Np bond distances parallel those observed previously for tetraphenyl- and octaethylporphyrin derivatives.

Effects of porphyrin deformation on the 13C and 1H NMR chemical shifts in high-spin five- and six-coordinate manganese(III) porphyrin complexes

As an extension of our study to reveal the effect of porphyrin deformation on the [Formula: see text]C and 1H NMR chemical shifts, both five- and six-coordinate high-spin (S [Formula: see text] 2) Mn(III) complexes such as Mn(Por)Cl and [Mn(Por)(CD3OD)2]Cl have been prepared, where Por is a porphyrin dianion such as TPP, OMTPP, and T[Formula: see text]PrP. Molecular structures of five-coordinate Mn(OMTPP)Cl and Mn(TiPrP)Cl have been determined by the X-ray crystallographic analysis. As expected, Mn(OMTPP)Cl and Mn(TiPrP)Cl have exhibited a highly saddled and highly ruffled porphyrin core, respectively. The [Formula: see text]C NMR spectra have revealed that these complexes generally exhibit the [Formula: see text]-pyrrole signals at the downfield positions and [Formula: see text]-pyrrole an. meso signals at the upfield positions. The results suggest that the spin polarization of Mn(III)–NP σ bonds, which occurs in all the high-spin Mn(III) complexes, is the major factor to determine the chemical shifts of the porphyrin carbon signals (Cheng, R.-J.; Chang, S.-H.; Hung, K.-C. Inorg. Chem. 2007; 46: 1948–1950). Although th. meso and [Formula: see text]-pyrrole signals are observed at the upfield and downfield positions, respectively, these signals are widely dispersed depending on the deformation mode of the porphyrin ring. The results have been explained in terms of the strong spin polarization of the Mn–NP bond together with the specific metal-porphyrin orbital interactions such as: (i) the a2u-dz2 interaction in five-coordinate complexes, (ii) the a2u-dxy interaction in ruffled complexes, and (iii) the a2u-dx2-y2 interaction in saddled complexes.

Coordination and acid-base properties of meso-nitro derivatives of β-octaethylporphyrin

Spectrophotometric method is used to study the acid-base and coordination properties of a series of porphyrins with a continuously increasing degree of macrocycle deformation resulting from the introduction of strong electron — withdrawing substituents: 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin (1), 5-nitro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin (2), 5,15-dinitro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin (3), 5,10,15-trinitro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin (4), and 5,10,15,20-tetranitro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin (5). It is found that the values of total basicity constants obtained for the investigated compounds consistently diminish with an increase in the number of meso-substituents: 11.85 (1) < 10.45 (2) < 10.31 (3) < 10.23 (4) < 9.56 (5). The values of the combined acidity constants of porphyrins (4–5) obtained in acetonitrile-DBU system at 298 K are pKa = 10.90 and 10.40 respectively. The reaction of complex formation between the porphyrins and their dianionic forms with zinc acetate was studied. It is shown that two opposing factors, the steric and electronic effects of the substituents, change the acid-base and coordination properties of the above series of compounds.

Saddle-shaped porphyrins for dye-sensitized solar cells: new insight into the relationship between nonplanarity and photovoltaic properties

We report on the theoretical and experimental studies of the new dye-sensitized solar cells functionalized with 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin zinc(ii) complexes bearing 2- and 8-bromo substituents at the β positions.

Impact of substituents and nonplanarity on nickel and copper porphyrin electrochemistry: first observation of a Cu(II)/Cu(III) reaction in nonaqueous media

Electrochemical studies of the oxidation of dodecasubstituted and highly nonplanar nickel porphyrins in a noncoordinating solvent have previously revealed the first nickel(III) porphyrin dication. Herein, we investigate if these nonplanar porphyrins can also be used to detect the so far unobserved copper(III) porphyrin dication. Electrochemical studies of the oxidation of (DPP)Cu and (OETPP)Cu show three processes, the first two of which are macrocycle-centered to give the porphyrin dication followed by a Cu^II/Cu^III process at more positive potential. Support for the assignment of the Cu^II/Cu^III process comes from the linear relationships observed between E_1/2 and the third ionization potential of the central metal ions for iron, cobalt, nickel, and copper complexes of (DPP)M and (OETPP)M. In addition, the oxidation behavior of additional nonplanar nickel porphyrins is investigated in a noncoordinating solvent, with nickel meso-tetraalkylporphyrins also being found to form nickel(III) porphyrin dications. Finally, examination of the nickel meso-tetraalkylporphyrins in a coordinating solvent (pyridine) reveals that the first oxidation becomes metal-centered under these conditions, as was previously noted for a range of nominally planar porphyrins.

A series of nickel(II) meso-tetraalkylporphyrins was electrochemically investigated along with nickel(II) and copper(II) derivatives of dodecaphenylporphyrin and octaethyltetraphenylporphyrin. Each investigated porphyrin exhibits three oxidations, the first two of which are macrocycle-centered to give the porphyrin dication followed by an M^II/M^III process at more positive potentials.