Programmed Metalloporphyrins for Self-Assembly within Light-Harvesting Stacks: (5,15-Dicyano-10,20-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)porphyrinato)zinc(II) and Its Push−Pull 15-N,N-Dialkylamino-5-cyano Congeners Obtained by a Facile Direct Amination

Stepwise Oxidative C-C Coupling and/or C-N Fusion of Zn(II) meso-Pyridin-2-ylthio-porphyrins

The synthesis and characterization of zinc(II) meso-pyridin-2-ylthio-porphyrins are presented in this manuscript. The (electro)chemical oxidation of [5-(pyridin-2-ylthio)-10,20-bis(p-tolyl)-15-phenylporphyrinato] zinc(II) or [5,15-bis(pyridin-2-ylthio)-10,20-bis(p-tolyl)porphyrinato] zinc(II) leads to the formation of one or two C-N bond(s) by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the peripheral thiopyridinyl fragment(s) on the neighboring β-pyrrolic position(s) (C-N fusion reaction). In addition, the chemical oxidation of [5-(pyridin-2-ylthio)-10,20-bis(p-tolyl)porphyrinato] zinc(II), i.e., bearing one free meso position, mainly affords the meso,meso-dimer. Further stepwise electrochemical oxidation selectively produces the mono and bis C-N fused meso,meso-dimer. The resulting pyridinium derivatives exhibit important changes in their physicochemical properties (NMR, UV-vis, CV) as compared to their initial unfused precursors. Also, the X-ray crystallographic structures of three unfused monomers, one unfused meso,meso-dimer, and two C-N fused monomers are presented.

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (SNAr) and Related Reactions of Porphyrinoids: Mechanistic and Regiochemical Aspects

The nucleophilic substitution of aromatic moieties (SNAr) has been known for over 150 years and found wide use for the functionalization of (hetero)aromatic systems. Currently, several "types" of SNAr reactions have been established and notably the area of porphyrinoid macrocycles has seen many uses thereof. Herein, we detail the SNAr reactions of seven types of porphyrinoids with differing number and type of pyrrole units: subporphyrins, norcorroles, corroles, porphyrins, azuliporphyrins, N-confused porphyrins, and phthalocyanines. For each we analyze the substitution dependent upon: a) the type of nucleophile and b) the site of substitution (α, β, or meso). Along with this we evaluate this route as a synthetic strategy for the generation of unsymmetrical porphyrinoids. Distinct trends can be identified for each type of porphyrinoid discussed, regardless of nucleophile. The use of nucleophilic substitution on porphyrinoids is found to often be a cost-effective procedure with the ability to yield complex substituent patterns, which can be conducted in non-anhydrous solvents with easily accessible simple porphyrinoids.

Synthesis of Meso-Diarylaminocorroles via SNAr Reactions

A corrole is a tetrapyrrolic macrocycle known as a ring-contracted porphyrinoid. Despite the progress of the synthetic chemistry of meso-aryl-substituted corroles since the early 2000s, meso-heteroatom-substituted corroles have been scarcely reported. Herein we report that the SNAr-type substitution reaction of a meso-chlorocorrole silver complex with diphenylamine or carbazole in the presence of NaH as a base produced meso-aminocorroles. The structures, ultraviolet⁻visible spectroscopy (UV/Vis), and emission spectra of these meso-aminocorroles were discussed. Furthermore, the oxidation reaction of a meso-diphenylaminocorrole was examined, which resulted in the formation of 10,10-diethoxyisocorrole.

Metal-Free Synthesis of meso-Aminoporphyrins through Reduction of meso-Azidoporphyrins Generated in Situ by Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions of meso-Bromoporphyrins

A facile and metal-free method for the preparation of free base meso-aminodiarylporphyrins from readily available meso-bromodiarylporphyrins is described. Simple treatment of meso-bromoporphyrins with sodium azide and sodium ascorbate in DMF affords the corresponding meso-aminoporphyrins in very good yields. This method involves the aromatic nucleophilic substitution (S_NAr) of a bromo group with an azido group and the subsequent in situ reduction of the introduced azido group by sodium ascorbate. This amination reaction can be scaled up to gram scale without any decrease of the product yield. The amination reaction of free base meso-dibromoporphyrin affords a monoaminated product selectively, whereas that of the Ni(II) complex furnishes a diaminated product that is oxidized by air under ambient conditions but isolable as a trifluoroacetyl ester. Metal-insertion reactions of the obtained free base aminoporphyrins afford the corresponding metal complexes (Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Pd(II)) all in good yields except the Pd(II) complex. Synthetic methods for the preparation of N-mono- or dialkylaminoporphyrins from the free base meso-aminoporphyrins have been also established.

Synthesis and Functionalization of Porphyrins through Organometallic Methodologies

This review focuses on the postfunctionalization of porphyrins and related compounds through catalytic and stoichiometric organometallic methodologies. The employment of organometallic reactions has become common in porphyrin synthesis. Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions are now standard techniques for constructing carbon-carbon bonds in porphyrin synthesis. In addition, iridium- or palladium-catalyzed direct C-H functionalization of porphyrins is emerging as an efficient way to install various substituents onto porphyrins. Furthermore, the copper-mediated Huisgen cycloaddition reaction has become a frequent strategy to incorporate porphyrin units into functional molecules. The use of these organometallic techniques, along with the traditional porphyrin synthesis, now allows chemists to construct a wide range of highly elaborated and complex porphyrin architectures.

Negishi coupling in the synthesis of advanced electronic, optical, electrochemical, and magnetic materials

Negishi coupling is an efficient and versatile tool for selective C–C bond formation in the synthesis of organic electronic, optical, electrochemical, and magnetic materials.

Effects of cyano, ethynyl and ethylenedioxy groups on the photophysical properties of carbazole-based porphyrins

The synthesis and photophysical properties of cyano and ethynyl substituted carbazole-based porphyrins were investigated.

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of meso-bromosubporphyrin: synthesis of a thiopyrane-fused subporphyrin

meso-Bromosubporphyrin undergoes nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SN Ar) reactions with arylamines, diarylamines, phenols, ethanol, thiophenols, and n-butanethiol in the presence of suitable bases to provide the corresponding substitution products. The SN Ar reactions also proceed well with pyrrole, indole, and carbazole to provide substitution products in moderate to good yields. Finally, the SN Ar reaction with 2-bromothiophenol and subsequent intramolecular peripheral arylation reaction affords a thiopyrane-fused subporphyrin.

Mimics of the self-assembling chlorosomal bacteriochlorophylls: regio- and stereoselective synthesis and stereoanalysis of acyl(1-hydroxyalkyl)porphyrins

Diacylation of copper 10,20-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenylporphyrin) using Friedel-Crafts conditions at short reaction times, high concentrations of catalyst, and 0-4 degrees C affords only the 3,17-diacyl-substituted porphyrins, out of the 12 possible regioisomers. At longer reaction times and higher temperatures, the 3,13-diacyl compounds are also formed, and the two isomers can be conveniently separated by normal chromatographic techniques. Monoreduction of these diketones affords in good yields the corresponding acyl(1-hydroxyalkyl)porphyrins, which after zinc metalation are mimics of the natural chlorosomal bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) d. Racemate resolution by HPLC on a variety of chiral columns was achieved and further optimized, thus permitting easy access to enantiopure porphyrins. Enantioselective reductions proved to be less effective in this respect, giving moderate yields and only 79% ee in the best case. The absolute configuration of the 3(1)-stereocenter was assigned by independent chemical and spectroscopic methods. Self-assembly of a variety of these zinc BChl d mimics proves that a collinear arrangement of the hydroxyalkyl substituent with the zinc atom and the carbonyl substituent is not a stringent requirement, since both the 3,13 and the 3,17 regioisomers self-assemble readily as the racemates. Interestingly, the separated enantiomers self-assemble less readily, as judged by absorption, fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy studies. Circular dichroism spectra of the self-assemblies show intense Cotton effects, which are mirror-images for the two 3(1)-enantiomers, proving that the supramolecular chirality is dependent on the configuration at the 3(1)-stereocenter. Upon disruption of these self-assemblies with methanol, which competes with zinc ligation, only very weak monomeric Cotton effects are present. The favored heterochiral self-assembly process may also be encountered for the natural BChls. This touches upon the long-standing problem of why both 3(1)-epimers are encountered in BChls in ratios that vary with the illumination and culturing conditions.

Self-organized porphyrinic materials

The self-assembly and self-organization of porphyrins and related macrocycles enables the bottom-up fabrication of photonic materials for fundamental studies of the photophysics of these materials and for diverse applications. This rapidly developing field encompasses a broad range of disciplines including molecular design and synthesis, materials formation and characterization, and the design and evaluation of devices. Since the self-assembly of porphyrins by electrostatic interactions in the late 1980s to the present, there has been an ever increasing degree of sophistication in the design of porphyrins that self-assemble into discrete arrays or self-organize into polymeric systems. These strategies exploit ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding, coordination chemistry, and dispersion forces to form supramolecular systems with varying degrees of hierarchical order. This review concentrates on the methods to form supramolecular porphyrinic systems by intermolecular interactions other than coordination chemistry, the characterization and properties of these photonic materials, and the prospects for using these in devices. The review is heuristically organized by the predominant intermolecular interactions used and emphasizes how the organization affects properties and potential performance in devices.

Controlling molecular assembling by photons: reversible light-powered monomer-aggregate interconversion of porphyrins

Reversible formation and destruction of H-type aggregates of an anionic porphyrin can be controlled exclusively through light inputs of different energy exploiting the different interactions with the two isomeric forms of a cationic photoresponsive azobenzene-based surfactant.