Synthesis of meso-substituted porphyrins using sustainable chemical processes

The easy access and low price of pyrrole and aldehydes, conjugated with the simplicity in preparing meso-substituted porphyrins, makes this type of porphyrins very attractive for a broad range of applications. However, there is an increasing demand for the development of new synthetic processes involving more sustainable chemical principles substituting, whenever possible, dangerous organic solvents by alternative solvents, chromatographic purifications by precipitations and energy-intensive procedures by alternative energy sources such as microwaves and ultrasounds. In this review we will address some recent strategies to synthesize meso-substituted porphyrins using alternative energy sources, reaction media and catalysts, namely microwave irradiation, water as solvent, or solid microporous acid catalysts.

Spectroscopic investigation of the encapsulation and the reactivity towards NO of a Co(II)-porphyrin inside a cross-linked polymeric matrix

A highly dispersed cobalt(II) porphyrin (PhCo(II)) encapsulated inside a highly cross-linked poly(4-ethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene) matrix (St-DVB) is investigated by means of FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis and EPR spectroscopies. The adoption of the highly porous St-DVB support is the key factor in reaching an optimum porphyrin dispersion in undiluted conditions ( approximately 10 wt% of porphyrin). It is demonstrated that the encapsulated PhCo(II) are characterized by the absence of any axial interactions involving the polymeric matrix, that can be considered a "non-coordinating" solvent. Finally, the permanent porosity of the encapsulating matrix allows gaseous molecules to reach the Co(II) cations also in the absence of swellable solvents. In particular, the reactivity of the isolated Co(II) porphyrin species towards nitric oxide (NO) is investigated, with possible implications in the understanding of the crucial role played by NO in biological systems.

Calix[4]azulene

Azulene reacts with paraformaldehyde in the presence of florisil to give excellent yields of calix[4]azulene.

Nickel(II) and Zinc(II) meso-Tetracyclohexylporphyrins. Structural and Electronic Effects Induced by meso-Cyclohexyl Substitution in Metalloporphyrins

The synthesis and X-ray structures of the zinc(II) and nickel(II) complexes of meso-tetracyclohexylporphyrin H(2)(TCHP) are described. The nonplanarity of the meso substituents results in steric crowding at the porphyrin periphery. In the solid state, the nickel(II) complex Ni(TCHP) has a ruffled porphyrin conformation while Zn(TCHP) exhibits a stepped distortion of the macrocycle. In chloroform solution, fast rotation of the cyclohexyl groups on the NMR time scale is observed at room temperature for both complexes. Temperature-dependent (1)H NMR spectra showed that the (-g,g,-g,g) conformer of Zn(TCHP) and Ni(TCHP) is prevalent in solution at low temperatures and gave an estimate for the rotation barrier of the cyclohexyl groups (DeltaG(c)() = 10-12 kcal mol(-)(1)). In both complexes, the porphyrin ring is easier to oxidize and harder to reduce than in their tetraphenylporphyrin M(TPP) congeners, in agreement with the stronger electron-donating effect of the cyclohexyl group. The magnitude of the potential shift is larger for the first oxidation than for the first reduction, reflecting a smaller HOMO-LUMO energy gap and a greater degree of macrocycle distortion than in the M(TPP) derivatives. This information is of importance to understanding the protein regulation of electron-transfer processes by cytochrome c and other redox active proteins. Crystal data: Ni(TCHP).CHCl(3).CH(3)CN, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 27.405(12), b = 10.004(21), c = 32.877(24) Å, beta = 107.71(3) degrees at 127 K, Z = 8. Zn(TCHP), monoclinic, P2(1)/a, a = 11.159(15), b = 11.992(7), c = 13.465(20) Å, beta = 102.85(16) degrees at 127 K, Z = 2.

High-Spin (meso-Tetraalkylporphyrinato)iron(III) Complexes As Studied by X-ray Crystallography, EPR, and Dynamic NMR Spectroscopies

1H NMR spectra of a series of high-spin (meso-tetraalkylporphyrinato)iron(III) chlorides, [Fe(TRP)Cl] where R = Me, Et, Pr, or (i)Pr, have been measured at various temperatures in CD(2)Cl(2) solution. In the case of the Et, Pr, and (i)Pr complexes, either the methyl or the methylene signal split into two signals with equal integral intensities at low temperature. In contrast, the Me complex did not show any splitting even at -100 degrees C. The results have been ascribed to the hindered rotation of the meso-alkyl groups about C(meso)-C(alpha) bonds. The activation free energies for rotation have been determined as 8.0 (-72 degrees C), 8.5 (-60 degrees C), and 8.9 (-62 degrees C) kcal.mol(-1) for the Et, Pr, and (i)Pr complexes, respectively, at coalescence temperatures given in parentheses. The small activation free energy for rotation of the isopropyl groups observed in the present system is explained in terms of the nonplanarity of the porphyrin ring, which has been verified both by the X-ray crystallographic analysis and by the EPR spectrum taken in a frozen CH(2)Cl(2)-toluene solution. The success in observing the hindered rotation of less bulky primary alkyl groups such as ethyl and propyl groups at an easily accessible temperature range is attributed to the large difference in chemical shifts of the mutually exchanging protons, ca. 3500 Hz in the case of the Et complex, caused by the paramagnetism of the five-coordinated ferric porphyrin complexes.