Beta-octafluorocorroles

The one-pot corrole synthesis first reported by the Gross and Paolesse groups appears to have evolved into a remarkably general and predictable self-assembly based synthetic reaction. Gross's solvent-free procedure (refs 8 and 9) has proven particularly effective in our hands and, in fact, more general than originally claimed. In earlier work (ref 17), we showed that the reaction works for a variety of aromatic aldehyde starting materials and was not limited to relatively electron-deficient aldehydes, as reported by Gross and co-workers. Here, we show that the pyrrole component is also variable in that 3,4-difluoropyrrole undergoes oxidative condensation with four different p-X-substituted benzaldehydes to yield the corresponding beta-octafluoro-meso-tris(para-X-phenyl)corroles (X = CF3, H, CH3, and OCH3). Further, we have prepared the Cu and FeCl derivatives of the beta-octafluorocorrole ligands. The XPS nitrogen 1s ionization potentials of these fluorinated ligands are some 0.7 eV higher than those of the corresponding beta-unfluorinated ligands. The oxidation half-wave potentials of the Cu and FeCl complexes of the fluorinated corroles are also positively shifted by 300-400 mV relative to their beta-unsubstituted analogues, demonstrating the strongly electron-deficient character of the fluorinated ligands. 1H NMR spectroscopy suggests that like their beta-unfluorinated counterparts, the new beta-octafluorinated triarylcorroles act as substantially noninnocent ligands, i.e., exhibit corrole pi-cation radical character, in the FeCl complexes. Quantitatively, however, NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations indicate that the beta-octafluorinated corroles are somewhat less noninnocent (i.e., carry less radical character) than their beta-unfluorinated counterparts in the FeCl complexes. Temperature-dependent 19F NMR spectroscopy suggests that the Cu octafluorocorroles have a thermally accessible paramagnetic excited state, which we assign as a Cu(II) corrole pi-cation radical. We have previously reported that the electronic absorption spectra, particularly the Soret absorption maxima, of high-valent transition metal triarylcorroles are very sensitive to the nature of the substituents in the meso positions. In contrast, the Soret absorption maxima of free-base triarylcorroles are not particularly sensitive to the nature of the meso substituents. This scenario also holds for the fluorinated corroles described here. Thus, although the four free-base fluorinated triarylcorroles exhibit practically identical Soret absorption maxima, the Soret bands of the Cu derivatives of the same corroles red-shift by approximately 35 nm on going from the p-CF3 to the p-OCH3 derivative.     

Synthesis and Molecular Structure of 99Tc Corroles

The first ⁹⁹Tc corroles have been synthesized and fully characterized. A single‐crystal X‐ray structure of a ⁹⁹TcO triarylcorrole revealed nearly identical geometry parameters as the corresponding ReO structure. A significant spectral shift between the Soret maxima of TcO (410–413 nm) and ReO (438–441 nm) corroles was observed and, based on two‐component spin–orbit ZORA TDDFT calculations, ascribed to relativistic effects in the Re case. The syntheses reported herein potentially pave the way toward ^99mTc‐porphyrinoid‐based radiopharmaceuticals.     

Synthesis and molecular structure of gold triarylcorroles

A number of third-row transition-metal corroles have remained elusive as synthetic targets until now, notably osmium, platinum, and gold corroles. Against this backdrop, we present a simple and general synthesis of β-unsubstituted gold(III) triarylcorroles and the first X-ray crystal structure of such a complex. Comparison with analogous copper and silver corrole structures, supplemented by extensive scalar-relativistic, dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations, suggests that "inherent saddling" may occur for of all coinage metal corroles. The degree of saddling, however, varies considerably among the three metals, decreasing conspicuously along the series Cu > Ag > Au. The structural differences reflect significant differences in metal-corrole bonding, which are also reflected in the electrochemistry and electronic absorption spectra of the complexes. From Cu to Au, the electronic structure changes from noninnocent metal(II)-corrole(?2-) to relatively innocent metal(III)-corrole(3-).     

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: μ‐Oxo‐Diiron Corroles Revisited

For well over 20 years, μ‐oxo‐diiron corroles, first reported by Vogel and co‐workers in the form of μ‐oxo‐bis[(octaethylcorrolato)iron] (Mössbauer δ 0.02 mm s^?1, ΔE_Q 2.35 mm s^?1), have been thought of as comprising a pair antiferromagnetically coupled low‐spin Fe^IV centers. The remarkable stability of these complexes, which can be handled at room temperature and crystallographically analyzed, present a sharp contrast to the fleeting nature of enzymatic, iron(IV)‐oxo intermediates. An array of experimental and theoretical methods have now shown that the iron centers in these complexes are not Fe^IV but intermediate‐spin Fe^III coupled to a corrole^.2?. The intramolecular spin couplings in {Fe[TPC]}₂(μ‐O) were analyzed via DFT(B3LYP) calculations in terms of the Heisenberg–Dirac–van Vleck spin Hamiltonian H=J_Fe–corrole(S_Fe?S_corrole)+J_Fe–Fe′(S_Fe?S_Fe′)+J_{Fe′–corrole}(S_Fe′?S_corrole′), which yielded J_Fe–corrole=J_{Fe′–corrole′}=0.355 eV (2860 cm^?1) and J_Fe–Fe′=0.068 eV (548 cm^?1). The unexpected stability of μ‐oxo‐diiron corroles thus appears to be attributable to charge delocalization via ligand noninnocence.     

Development of the Peripheral Functionalization Chemistry of meso-Free Corroles

In contrast to the extensive development of the meso-functionalization of porphyrins, that of corroles had rarely been explored until the development of practical synthetic methods for meso-free corroles in 2015. The ready availability of meso-free corroles opened up meso-functionalization chemistry of corroles, giving rise to successful synthesis of various meso-substituted corroles such as meso-halogen, meso-nitro, meso-amino, meso-oxo, and meso-iminocorroles as well as meso–meso-linked corrole dimers and corrole tapes. In some cases, 2NH corroles exist as stable or transient radical species. The impact of meso-functionalization on the structures, electronic properties, optical characteristics, and aromaticity of corroles are highlighted in this Minireview.     

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction on copper-trans-A(2)B corroles with excellent functional group tolerance

The palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction has been investigated on meso-substituted trans-A₂B-corrole using tailored Pd-catalyst systems.We present the first examples of Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions on meso-substituted trans-A₂B-corrole derivatives with neutral, sterically hindered, inactivated and heteroaromatic boronic acids and esters, alkenylboronic acids, as well as quickly deboronating aryl boronic acids and benzo-condensated five membered heterocyclic boronic acids. In addition, we established a high-yield procedure for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of corroles with neutral boronic acids.Due to the lability of the free-base corrole macrocycles, functionalization of the corrole periphery was performed with the corresponding Cu-metallated species. meso-Substituted trans-A₂B-corrole can hence be regarded as highly versatile platform towards more sophisticated corrole systems.X-ray structure analysis of a functionalized meso-substituted trans-A₂B copper corrole exhibited the typical features of such a Cu-complex: short N-Cu distances and a saddled corrole configuration.Moreover, we observed a sensitivity of the formal oxidation state of the coordinated copper ions towards Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction conditions, where the central copper(III) ion approaches the characteristic features of a copper(II) species. This redox behaviour was examined by UV/vis absorption spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and time-dependent density functional theoretical calculations.     

meso‐Free Corroles: Syntheses,Structures, Properties,and Chemical Reactivities

5,10‐Bis(pentafluorophenyl)corrole ( 5 ) and 5,15‐bis(pentafluorophenyl)corrole ( 9 ) have been synthesized as meso‐free corroles by rational synthetic routes. Both the structures of these corroles have been unambiguously revealed by X‐ray diffraction analysis and their optical and electrochemical properties have been studied. Chlorination and oxidative dimerization of 5 and 9 have been explored, which revealed a marked different reactivity of the free meso‐positions in 5 and 9 . 10‐Chlorinated corrole 11 was effectively prepared by the reaction of 9 with Palau‘chlor in the presence of 1 % pyridine whereas 5‐chlorinated corrole 12 was obtained in a trace amount from similar chlorination of 5 . 5,5′‐Linked corrole dimer 13 was produced by reaction of 5 with AgNO₂ in a good yield, whereas 10,10′‐linked corrole dimer 14 was formed in a moderate yield by the reaction of 9 with [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene. Observed large electronic interaction between the two corroles in 13 as compared with that in 14 has been ascribed mainly to conformational flexibility of the former, which allows more coplanar conformation.     

Synthesis of meso‐Pyrrole‐Substituted 22‐Oxacorroles by a “3+2” Approach

Unsymmetrical 22‐oxacorrole containing two aryl groups and one pyrrole group at the meso position was synthesized by condensing one equivalent of 16‐oxatripyrrane with one equivalent of meso aryl dipyromethane under mild acid‐catalyzed conditions followed by oxidation with 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (DDQ). This [3+2] condensation approach was expected to yield meso‐free 25‐oxasmaragdyrin but unexpectedly afforded unsymmetrical meso‐pyrrole‐substituted 22‐oxacorrole. We demonstrated the versatility of the reaction by synthesizing four new meso‐pyrrole‐substituted 22‐oxacorroles. The reactivity of α‐position of meso‐pyrrole was tested by carrying out various functionalization reactions such as bromination, formylation, and nitration and obtained the functionalized meso‐pyrrole‐substituted 22‐oxacorroles in decent yields. The X‐ray structure obtained for one of the functionalized meso‐pyrrole substituted 22‐oxacorrole revealed that the macrocycle was nearly planar and the meso‐pyrrole was in the perpendicular orientation with respect to the macrocyclic plane. The meso‐pyrrole‐substituted 22‐oxacorroles absorb strongly in 400–700 nm region with one strong Soret band and four weak Q bands. The 22‐oxacorroles are strongly fluorescent and showed emission maxima at ≈650 nm with decent quantum yields and singlet‐state lifetimes. The 22‐oxacorroles are redox‐active and exhibited three irreversible oxidations and one or two reversible reduction(s). A preliminary biological study indicated that meso‐pyrrole corroles are biocompatible.     

Electronic Structure of Copper Corroles

The ground state electronic structure of copper corroles has been a topic of debate and revision since the advent of corrole chemistry. Computational studies formulate neutral Cu corroles with an antiferromagnetically coupled Cu^II corrole radical cation ground state. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, EPR, and magnetometry support this assignment. For comparison, Cu^II isocorrole and [TBA][Cu(CF₃)₄] were studied as authentic Cu^II and Cu^III samples, respectively. In addition, the one‐electron reduction and one‐electron oxidation processes are both ligand‐based, demonstrating that the Cu^II centre is retained in these derivatives. These observations underscore ligand non‐innocence in copper corrole complexes.     

A Spectroscopic and Theoretical Investigation of a Free‐Base meso‐Trithienylcorrole

The unique optical properties of free‐base meso‐tris(5‐methylthien‐2‐yl)corrole were compared to those of the widely investigated meso‐triphenyl‐substituted analogue. A combination of spectroscopic and computational experiments was undertaken to elucidate the relationship between structural features of the neutral, mono‐anionic and mono‐cationic forms of the corroles and their corresponding optical properties. A general bathochromic shift was measured for the thienyl‐substituted corrole. The experimental spectra are supported by excited state calculations. A systematic series of ground state minimizations were performed to determine energy minima for the flexible and solvent‐sensitive molecules. Trithienylcorrole was found to have a more nonplanar macrocycle in conjunction with a high degree of π‐overlap with the meso‐substituents. Both structural features contribute to their bathochromically shifted optical spectra. The configurational character of the thienyl‐substituted corrole is shown to have a larger degree of molecular orbital mixing and doubly excited character, which suggest a more complex electronic structure that does not fully adhere to the Gouterman four‐orbital model. The reactivity of the thienyl groups, particularly with respect to their ability to be (electro)‐polymerized, combined with the tight coupling of the meso‐thienyl groups with the corrole chromophore elucidated in this work, recommends the meso‐thienylcorroles as building blocks in, for instance, organic semiconductor devices.     

meso‐Ester Corroles

The introduction of ester groups on the 5‐ and 15‐meso positions of corroles stabilizes them against oxidation and induces a redshift of their absorption and emission spectra. These effects are studied through the photophysical and electrochemical characterization of up to 16 different 5,15‐diester corroles, in which the third meso position is free or occupied by an aryl group, a long alkyl chain, or an ester moiety. Single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis of five 5,15‐diestercorroles and DFT and time‐dependent DFT calculations show that the strong electron‐withdrawing character of the 5,15 ester substituents is reinforced by their π overlap with the macrocyclic aromatic system. The crystal packing of corroles 2 , 4 , 6 , 9 , and 15 features short distances between chromophores that are stacked into columns thanks to the low steric hindrance of meso‐ester groups. This close packing is partially due to intermolecular interactions that involve inner hydrogen and nitrogen atoms, and thereby, stabilize a single, identical corrole tautomeric form.     

Synthesis,Structure, Spectroscopic,and Electrochemical Properties of Highly Fluorescent Phosphorus(V)–meso‐Triarylcorroles

The synthesis, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties of seven new P^V–meso‐triarylcorroles ( 1 – 7 ) are reported. Compounds 1 – 7 were prepared by heating the corresponding free‐base corroles with POCl₃ at reflux in pyridine. Hexacoordinate P^V complexes of meso‐triarylcorroles were isolated that contained two axial hydroxy groups, unlike the P^V complex of 8,12‐diethyl‐2,3,7,13,17,18‐hexamethylcorrole, which was pentacoordinate, or the P^V complex of meso‐tetraphenylporphyrin, which was hexacoordinate with two axial chloro groups. ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy in CDCl₃ indicated that the hexacoordinated P^V–meso‐triarylcorroles were prone to axial‐ligand dissociation to form pentacoordinated P^V–meso‐triarylcorroles. However, in the presence of strongly coordinating solvents, such as CH₃OH, THF, and DMSO, the P^V–meso‐triarylcorroles preferred to exist in a hexacoordinated geometry in which the corresponding solvent molecules acted as axial ligands. X‐ray diffraction of two complexes confirmed the hexacoordination environment for P^V–meso‐triarylcorroles. Their absorption spectra in two coordinating solvents revealed that P^V–meso‐triarylcorroles showed a strong band at about 600 nm together with other bands, in contrast to P^V–porphyrins, which showed weak bands in the visible region. These compounds were easier to oxidize and more difficult to reduce compared to P^V–porphyrins. These compounds were brightly fluorescent, unlike the weakly fluorescent P^V–porphyrins, and the quantum yields for selected P^V–corroles were as high as Al^III and Ga^III corroles, which are the best known fluorescent compounds among oligopyrrolic macrocycles.     

Macrocyclic Transformations from Norrole to Isonorrole and an N‐Confused Corrole with a Fused Hexacyclic Ring System Triggered by a Pyrrole Substituent

Three kinds of fused porphyrinoids, L2 – L4 , possessing different types of corrole‐based frameworks were synthesized from a pyrrole‐substituted corrole isomer (norrole L1 ). Oxidation of L1 afforded a unique N‐C_meso‐fused pyrrolyl isonorrole L2 , involving the fusion of an auxiliary pyrrolic NH moiety with a meso‐sp³‐hybridized carbon atom. Subsequently, L2 underwent macrocycle transformations to give singly and doubly N‐C_Ar‐fused N‐confused corroles, L3 and L4 , respectively. L3 and L4 contain fused [5.7.6.5]‐tetra‐ and [5.6.7.7.6.5]‐hexacyclic structures, respectively, prepared through lateral annulation. These skeletal transformation reactions from norrole to its isomer isonorrole and finally to N‐confused corrole indicate that multiply fused porphyrinoids could be readily synthesized from pyrrole‐appended confused porphyrinoids.     

Bis‐copper(II) Complex of Triply‐linked Corrole Dimer and Its Dication

Copper complexes of corroles have recently been a subject of keen interest due to their ligand non‐innocent character and unique redox properties. Here we investigated bis‐copper complex of a triply‐linked corrole dimer that serves as a pair of divalent metal ligands but can be reduced to a pair of trivalent metal ligands. Reaction of triply‐linked corrole dimer 2 with Cu(acac)₂ (acac=acetylacetonate) gave bis‐copper(II) complex 2Cu as a highly planar molecule with a mean‐plane deviation value of 0.020 Å, where the two copper ions were revealed to be divalent by ESR, SQUID, and XPS methods. Oxidation of 2Cu with two equivalents of AgBF₄ gave complex 3Cu , which was characterized as a bis‐copper(II) complex of a dicationic triply‐linked corrole dimer not as the corresponding bis‐copper(III) complex. In accord with this assignment, the structural parameters around the copper ions were revealed to be quite similar for 2Cu and 3Cu . Importantly, the magnetic spin–spin interaction differs depending on the redox‐state of the ligand, being weak ferromagnetic in 2Cu and antiferromagnetic in 3Cu .     

Molecular design of corrole‐based D‐π‐A sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cell applications

First principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) have been performed to design a new set of donor‐corrole‐bridge‐acceptor type systems based on the gallium corroles for dye‐sensitized solar cell applications. The design strategy for these systems is based on the benchmark studies done on the experimentally tested aluminum, gallium, and tin metallocorroles. Unfortunately, corrole analogues display poor light to current conversion efficiencies in spite of their desirable photophysical properties. Thus, improving the efficiency of corrole analogues has become a major challenge and ways to identify solutions to this is of outstanding fundamental importance. This study shows the lack of charge directionality toward anchoring group as plausible reason for the poor efficiencies of reported corrole systems, which enabled us to fine‐tune the electronic and optical properties of new D‐π‐A type systems, COR1‐COR4. The molecular geometries, electronic structure, and binding orientation of these systems on TiO₂ surface were investigated using DFT, TD‐DFT, and PBC methods. When compared with the reported corroles, COR1‐COR4 have a smaller band gaps, red‐shifted absorption spectra with higher extinction coefficients (10⁵ M^?1 cm^?1) and improved nonlinear optical properties. Importantly, results revealed that these dyes bind with two‐arm mode to TiO₂ surface and the density of states of the dye@TiO₂ elucidate strong coupling between the dyes and TiO₂ surface. We anticipate that the unique photophysical properties of these sensitizers will trigger the experimental efforts to yield a new generation of sensitizers based on corrole macrocyle. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

First Example of a Modular Porphyrinoid Assembly Capable of Stabilizing Different Metal Ions in a Single Molecular Scaffold

We report the synthesis and characterization of porphyrin–corrole–porphyrin (Por‐Cor‐Por) hybrids directly linked at the meso–meso positions for the first time. The stability and solubility of the trimer are carefully balanced by adding electron‐withdrawing substituents to the corrole ring and sterically bulky groups on the porphyrins. The new hybrids are capable of stabilizing more than one metal ion in a single molecular scaffold. The versatility of the triad has been demonstrated by successfully stabilizing homo‐ (Ni) and heterotrinuclear (Ni‐Cu‐Ni) coordination motifs. The solid‐state structure of the NiPor‐CuCor‐PorNi hybrid was revealed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. The Ni^II porphyrins are significantly ruffled and tilted by 83° from the plane of corrole. The robustness of the synthesized hybrids was reflected in the electrochemical investigations and the redox behaviour of the hybrids show that the oxidation processes are mostly corrole‐centred. In particular it is worth noting that the Por‐Cor‐Por hybrid can further be manipulated due to the presence of substituent‐free meso‐positions on both the terminals.     

Copper corroles: the question of noninnocence

In this paper, the results are presented from a comparative study of the electronic and geometric structure of copper corroles by means of either density functional theory (DFT, using both pure and hybrid functionals) and multiconfigurational ab initio methods, starting from either a complete active space (CASSCF) or restricted active space (RASSCF) reference wave function and including dynamic correlation by means of second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2/RASPT2). DFT geometry optimizations were performed for the lowest singlet and triplet states of copper corrole, both unsubstituted and meso-substituted with three phenyl groups. The effect of saddling on the electronic structure was investigated by comparing the results obtained for planar (C(2v)) and saddled (C(2)) structures. With DFT, the origin of the saddling distortion is found to be dependent on the applied functional: covalent Cu 3d-corrole π interactions with pure functionals (BP86, OLYP), antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between an electron in the corrolate (C(2)) b type π orbital, and an unpaired Cu(II) 3d electron with hybrid functionals (B3LYP, PBE0). The CASPT2 results essentially confirm the suggestion from the hybrid functionals that copper corroles are noninnocent, although the contribution of diradical character to the copper-corrole bond is found to be limited to 50% or less. The lowest triplet state is calculated at 0-10 kcal/mol and conform with the experimental observation (variable temperature NMR) that this state should be thermally accessible.     

Tungsten Biscorroles: New Chiral Sandwich Compounds

The oxidative metalation method, involving the interaction of free‐base meso‐triarylcorroles and W(CO)₆ in refluxing decalin, led to a set of three tungsten(VI) biscorroles, the first homoleptic sandwich compounds involving corroles. Single‐crystal X‐ray structures of two of the complexes revealed square‐antiprismatic coordination and strongly domed corroles with long W?N distances of 2.15–2.22 Å and a substantial displacement of ～1.17 Å of the metal relative to the mean N₄ planes of the ligands. The structures correspond to approximate C₂ symmetry and are thus chiral. DFT calculations strongly indicate that the enantiomers are configurationally stable and hence amenable to chiral resolution. Their other notable properties include a strongly blueshifted Soret band at (357±2) nm, a relatively intense π→W(d ) near‐IR feature at (781±3) nm, and a low electrochemical HOMO–LUMO gap of approximately 1.3 V. The results obtained herein suggest that metallobiscorroles may emerge as a new class of inherently chiral chromophores with novel optical and electrochemical properties.     

Kinetic study and UV–Vis spectra of 1:2 complexation of free base para‐substituted meso‐tetraphenylporphyrins with trimethylsilyl chloride

The UV–Vis spectra for 1:2 complexation of four different para‐substituted meso‐tetraphenylporphyrin (H₂t(4‐X)pp) and meso‐tetraphenylporphyrins (H₂tpp) with trimethylsilyl chloride (TMSC) displayed large and different redshifts (28–32.4 nm) of Soret and (15–41.7 nm) Q_(0‐0) bands, whereas 1:2 complexation of the less flexible tetramesitylporphyrin (H₂tmp) with TMSC led to rather small redshift (24.8 nm) of the Soret band and blueshift (−7.4 nm) of the Q_(0‐0) band. The varying spectral behavior for the porphyrins complexation seems to essentially reflect the different extent of π‐interactions between the meso‐aryl groups and the presumably saddled porphyrin macrocycle, through their relative coplanarity. The observed order of the rate constants for the complexation of various para‐substituted porphyrins, H₂t(4‐OCH₃)pp (9.27 ± 0.03) × 10⁻³ > H₂t(4‐CH₃)pp (6.68 ± 0.05) × 10⁻³ > H₂tpp (3.2 ± 0.05) × 10⁻³ > H₂t(4‐Cl)pp (8.36 ± 0.06) × 10⁻⁴, clearly demonstrated a higher reaction rate for the porphyrins containing para‐substituents with stronger electron donor ability. The calculated order for porphyrins (0.9 ± 0.1) and for TMSC (1.0 ± 0.1) suggests rate = K[Por][TMSC] for the complexation. Attempts were made to explain the absence of spectral evidence for the presence of an intermediate 1:1 (TMSC) Por adduct in terms of its high reactivity and/or relative instability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 39: 231–235, 2007