The effect of nitro substitution on the photochemistry of benzyl benozhydroxamate: Photoinduced release of benzohydroxamic acid

The redox congener of the important signaling agent nitric oxide (NO), nitroxyl or nitrosyl hydride (HNO) has also been demonstrated to induce distinct physiological effects. The aim of this study was to determine if benzohydroxamic acid, which was selected as a stable model compound of HNO donors, could be released by the o-nitrobenzyl photolabile protecting group (PPG) in a wavelength-dependent manner. It was expected that selective irradiation of the o-nitrobenzyl chromophore would favor the release of benzohydroxamic acid over undesired products associated with N-O bond cleavage. Quantum yields for the release of benzohydroxamic acid protected by the o-nitrobenzyl PPG increased at longer wavelengths, with a concomitant decrease in the yield of minor products. Through the use of triplet photosensitizers, triplet quenchers, computational methods, and the position of the nitro substituent, insights into the nature of the mechanism were suggested.     

A new method for the cleavage of nitrobenzyl amides and ethers

A mild and efficient o- and p-nitrobenzyl cleavage protocol was developed. o- and p-nitrobenzyl groups were easily removed from a variety of substrates using 20% aqueous NaOH in methanol at 75 °C, presumably via oxidation at the benzylic position by oxygen dissolved in the solution. These easily introducible and removable nitrobenzyl groups can serve as valuable protecting groups for the synthesis of multifunctional, complex molecules.     

Synthesis of a new hydrophilic o-nitrobenzyl photocleavable linker suitable for use in chemical proteomics

Linkers currently used in solid phase synthesis are generally short and hydrophobic, limiting their usefulness in biological systems. Herein, we describe a facile synthesis of a long, hydrophilic, o-nitrobenzyl photocleavable linker, suitable for constructing affinity supports for use in chemical proteomics. The rates of photolysis of the linker on exposure to UV light emitting diodes are reported.     

Sc(III) porphyrins. The molecular structure of two Sc(III) porphyrins and a re-evaluation of the parameters for the molecular mechanics modelling of Sc(III) porphyrins

The crystal structures of two new Sc(III) porphyrins, [Sc(TPP)Cl]·2.5(1-chloronaphthalene), (5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin)-chloro-scandium(III)·2.5(1-chloronaphthalene) solvate, (Mo Kα, 0.71073 Å, triclinic system  = 9.9530(2) Å, b = 15.4040(3) Å, c = 17.7770(3) Å, α = 86.5190(10)°, β = 89.7680(10)°, γ = 86.9720(10)°, 13101 independent reflections, R₁ = 0.0712) and the dimeric [μ₂-(OH)₂(Sc(TPP))₂], bis-(μ-hydroxo)-(5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin) scandium(III) (Mo Kα, 0.71073 Å, monoclinic system C2, a = 24.2555(16) Å, b = 11.1598(7) Å, c = 25.6468(17) Å, β = 91.980(2)°, 13084 independent reflections, R₁ = 0.0485) are reported. In [Sc(TPP)Cl] the metal is five-coordinate and the porphyrin is domed with the metal displaced by 0.63 Å from the mean porphyrin towards the axial Cl⁻ ligand. The average Sc-N bond length is 2.143(3) Å, which is shorter than the average bond length of previously reported structures. Two of the phenyl rings are nearly orthogonal to the porphyrin core and the other two are significantly tilted because of contacts with 1-chloronaphthalene solvent molecules, and the phenyl rings of neighbouring porphyrins. In [μ₂-(OH)₂(Sc(TPP))₂] both porphyrins are domed, with the metal displaced from the mean porphyrin plane towards the bridging hydroxo ligands. The average Sc-N bond length is 2.197(12) Å, which is in the upper range of Sc-N bond lengths in known Sc(III) porphyrins but not dissimilar to the average Sc-N bond lengths in another other bis-μ₂-hydroxo Sc(III) porphyrin, [μ₂-(OH)₂(Sc(OEP))₂]. One porphyrin is rotated relative to the upper porphyrin by 25° due to steric contacts between the phenyl substituents. We have used these new structures to re-evaluated our previously reported molecular mechanics force field parameters for modelling Sc(III) porphyrins using the MM2 force field; the training set was augmented from two to seven structures by using all available Sc(III) porphyrin structures and the two new structures. The modelling reproduces the porphyrin core very accurately; bond lengths are reproduced to within 0.01 Å, bond angles to within 0.5° and torsional angles to within 2°. The optimum parameters for modelling the Sc(III)-N bond lengths, determined by finding the minimum difference between the crystallographic and modelling mean bond lengths with the aid of artificial neural network architectures, were found to be 0.90 ± 0.03 mdyn Å⁻¹ for the bond force constant and2.005 ± 0.005 Å for the strain-free bond length. Modelling the seven Sc(III) porphyrins with the new parameters gives an average Sc-N bond length of 2.182 ± 0.018 Å, indistinguishable from the crystallographic mean of 2.181 ± 0.024 Å.     

A novel and efficient synthesis of porphine

meso-Tetra(n-hexyloxycarbonyl)porphyrin was found to be converted into porphine, the mother compound of porphyrins, in a 77% yield when heated in aqueous sulfuric acid at 180 °C over 30 min under an inert atmosphere. The observation demonstrates that the substituted porphyrin serves as a novel and useful precursor for porphine.     

Regiospecifically alpha-13C-labeled porphyrins for studies of ground-state hole transfer in multiporphyrin arrays

Insight into the electronic communication between the individual constituents of multicomponent molecular architectures is essential for the rational design of molecular electronic and/or photonic devices. To clock the ground-state hole/electron-transfer process in oxidized multiporphyrin architectures, a p-diphenylethyne-linked zinc porphyrin dyad was prepared wherein one porphyrin bears two (13)C atoms and the other porphyrin is unlabeled. The (13)C atoms are located at the 1- and 9-positions (alpha-carbons symmetrically disposed to the position of linker attachment), which are sites of electron/spin density in the a(1u) HOMO of the porphyrin. The (13)C labels were introduced by reaction of KS(13)CN with allyl bromide to give the allyl isothiocyanate, which upon Trofimov pyrrole synthesis followed by methylation gave 2-(methylthio)pyrrole-2-(13)C. Reaction of the latter with paraformaldehyde followed by hydrodesulfurization gave dipyrromethane-1,9-(13)C, which upon condensation with a dipyrromethane-1,9-dicarbinol bearing three pentafluorophenyl groups gave the tris(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin bearing (13)C labels at the 1,9-positions and an unsubstituted meso (5-) position. Zinc insertion, bromination at the 5-position, and Suzuki coupling with an unlabeled porphyrin bearing a suitably functionalized diphenylethyne linker gave the regiospecifically labeled zinc porphyrin dyad. Examination of the monocation of the isotopically labeled dyad via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy (and comparison with the monocations of benchmark monomers, where hole transfer cannot occur) showed that the hole transfer between porphyrin constituents of the dyad is slow (<10(6) s(-1)) on the EPR time scale at room temperature. The slow rate stems from the a(1u) HOMO of the electron-deficient porphyrins, which has a node at the site of linker connection. In contrast, analogous dyads of electron-rich porphyrins (wherein the HOMO is a(2u) and has a lobe at the site of linker connection) studied previously exhibit rates of hole transfer that are fast (>5 x 10(7) s(-1)) on the EPR time scale at room temperature.     

A photolabile protection strategy for terminal alkynes

We present a strategy for photolabile protection of terminal alkynes. Several photo-caged alcohols were synthesized via mild copper(II)-catalyzed substitution between tertiary propargylic alcohols and 2-nitrobenzyl alcohol to build up robust, base stable o-nitrobenzyl (NB) photo-cleavable compounds. We compare the new photolabile protecting group with the commonly used alkyne protecting group, 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol and the results show that NB ethers are stable under the cleaving conditions for the cleavage of methylbutynol protected alkynes. Additionally, we present the synthesis of photo-cleavable NB derivatives containing thiol groups that can serve as agents for photoinduced surface functionalization reactions.     

Convenient synthesis of porphine from β-tetra(tert-butyl)porphyrin

β-Tetra(tert-butyl)porphyrin was prepared from 2-dimethylaminomethyl-4-tert-butylpyrrole and converted into porphine, the mother compound of porphyrins, in 64% yield. The dealkylation smoothly proceeded in aqueous sulfuric acid over 15 min at 190 °C under nitrogen.     

Porphyrin photosensitizers solubilized with pluronics in the oxidation of tryptophan

It was shown that water-insoluble porphyrins solubilized with pluronics (ternary block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide) efficiently transfer photoexcitation energy to molecular oxygen dissolved in aqueous media to excite it into the singlet state, which is active in oxidizing organic substrates. It was established that the degree of solubilization of porphyrin photosensitizers (PPSs) γ defined as the proportion of PPS molecules passed into the aqueous phase in the dissolution of formed films depends on a single parameter, the initial ratio between the porphyrin and pluronic molar concentrations q. γ = γ(q) dependences for the solubilization of dissimilar water-insoluble porphyrins were analyzed. It was shown that the behavior of all the obtained γ = γ(q) dependences is changed at a characteristic value q _max: when q ? q _max, γ ～ 1, and, when q ≥ ?q_max, the degree of solubilization decreases. It was concluded that solubilized porphyrins are efficient photosensitizers in the oxidation of organic substrates (tryptophan).     

Thienyl—Appended porphyrins: Synthesis,photophysical and electrochemical properties,and their applications

This review focuses on the synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties of thienyl porphyrins where processes such as electron transfer, energy transfer and electropolymerisation are discussed. The purpose of this review is to examine the influence of the thienyl ring, whether it be directly connected (via meso and β positions) or indirectly connected (via a covalent linker or axial coordination) on the ground and excited state electronic properties of the porphyrin macrocycle. Additionally, the importance of the electronic properties of a bridging oligothiophene between the porphyrin and another centre in supramolecular systems is discussed. Also included are applications of thienyl porphyrins in such areas as catalysis, therapeutics, (opto)electronics and electron-transfer/light-harvesting systems.     

Novel D-π-A system based on zinc-porphyrin derivatives for highly efficient dye-sensitised solar cells

We have designed and synthesised novel zinc porphyrin dyes that have a D-π-A system based on porphyrin derivatives containing a carbazole linked triphenylamine (TPA) electron-donating group as the second electron donor and a meso-substituted phenyl carboxyl anchoring group attached at the meso position of the porphyrin ring, yielding push-pull porphyrins as the most efficient green dye for DSSC applications. Under photovoltaic performance measurements, a maximum photon-to-electron conversion efficiency of 5.01% was achieved with the DSSC based on the dye HKK-Por1 (J_SC = 10.7 mA/cm², V_OC = 0.67 V, FF = 0.70) under AM1.5 irradiation (100 mW/cm²).     

Non-covalent assemblies of negatively charged boronated porphyrins with different cationic moieties

A unique approach to non-covalent electron and energy transfer is described that is based on the formation of salt bridges between oppositely charged porphyrin units. A new class of electrostatically linked dimeric and pentameric porphyrins was synthesized by interaction of novel anionic boron containing porphyrins such as 5-(benzamidodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin (N1) and meso-tetrakis-benzamidodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate)porphyrin (N2) and a variety of cationic meso-tetraarylporphyrin units. A bipyridine linked dimer (N1 · bpy · N1) was also prepared by employing N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium (bpy) as a spacer between two mono-anionic species. A quinone-porphyrin dyad was also prepared for electron or energy transfer demonstration. All the synthesized assemblies were characterized by NMR, IR, UV-Vis, and mass spectroscopy. Significant spectral changes occurred in the absorption spectra of these non-covalent porphyrin assemblies compared to those of the reference monomers, indicating the presence of electronic interaction between the adjacent porphyrin units. Resonance light scattering was also used to study the formation of these assemblies in solution.     

Porphyrins and Related Compounds as Photoactivatable Insecticides. 2. Phototoxic Activity of Meso-Substituted Porphyrins

We have recently proposed the use of porphyrin sensitizers as photoinsecticidal agents. Our present findings show that the phototoxic efficiency of porphyrins toward the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is strongly dependent on their chemical structure. Thus, two highly hydrophilic porphyrins, such as a tetraanionic and a te-tracationic meso-substituted derivative, show a very low photoactivity even upon prolonged irradiation with full-spectrum visible light. The phototoxicity increases upon increasing the hydrophobicity of the porphyrin molecule; out of the compounds examined by us, the highest pho-tocidal activity is exhibited by a dicationic amphophilic porphyrin, namely cis-(JV-methyl-piridyl), c/s-diphenyl-porphine, which causes 100% mortality upon 1 h irradiation with a fluence rate of 1220 μ.E s^-lm^-2even at a concentration as low as 0.85 mM. The differences in photoactivity are not related to differences in the photo-physical and photobiological properties or to differences in the rate of porphyrin uptake and clearance by the flies.     

Benzylic modifications of meso-alkyl-substituted porphyrins via oxidation with DDQ

The reactions at the benzylic positions of meso-alkyl-substituted porphyrins have been achieved via the reaction with DDQ in the presence of alcohol or water for the first time, and ethenyl porphyrins from methoxylated porphyrins and an acetoxy porphyrin from the hydroxyl porphyrin were prepared.     

水溶性卟啉催化氧化1,5-萘二酚

合成并表征了系列水溶性卟啉配体[H2TPPS: 5,10,15,20-四-(4-磺酸基苯基)-21H,23H-卟啉, H2TMPyP: 5,10,15,20-四(4-吡啶基)-21H,23H-卟啉, H2TCPP: 5,10,15,20-四-(4-羧基苯基)-21H,23H-卟啉]及相应的铁、锌及钴配合物. 将水溶性卟啉作为光敏剂, 用于1,5-萘二酚的光催化反应, 产物为5-羟基-1,4萘醌. 利用UV-Vis方法对卟啉催化1,5-萘二酚的反应过程进行了监测, 探索了水相和水/二氯甲烷双相催化体系, 确定了较为理想的反应条件. 探讨了不同取代基和不同金属离子对卟啉催化性能的影响, 初步讨论了催化机理. 结果表明, 具有磺酸根阴离子取代基的水溶性卟啉具有最好的催化活性; 卟啉的催化活性与其在反应体系中的稳定性密切相关; 铁卟啉在反应初期呈现很高的催化活性, 但在光照条件下容易发生光解而导致催化活性的降低; 无金属的磺酸卟啉在催化体系中的催化活性和稳定性最好.     

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction sensitized by a special-pair mimic porphyrin connected with a rhenium(i) tricarbonyl complex

Zn porphyrins with an imidazolyl group at the meso position generate a highly stable porphyrin dimer by complementary coordination from the imidazolyl to the Zn ion in noncoordinating solvents such as chloroform, which mimics the natural special pair in photosynthesis. In this work, we have synthesized an imidazolyl-substituted Zn porphyrin connected with a Re 2,2-bipyridine tricarbonyl complex as a CO₂ reduction catalyst via a p-phenylene linker, affording a homodimer with two Re complexes on both sides (ReDRe). The dimeric structure is easily dissociated into the corresponding monomers in coordinating solvents. Therefore, we prepared a mixture containing a heterodimer with the Re carbonyl complex on one side (ReD) by simple mixing with an imidazolyl Zn porphyrin and evaporating the solvent. Using the Grubbs catalyst, the subsequent olefin metathesis reaction of the mixture gave covalently linked porphyrin dimers through the allyloxy side chains, enabling the isolation of the stable hetero- (ReD′) and homo-dimers (ReD′Re) with gel permeation chromatography. The Zn porphyrin dimers have intense absorption bands in the visible light region and acted as good photosensitizers in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction in a mixture of N,N-dimethylacetamide and triethanolamine (5 : 1 v/v) containing 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole as the electron donor, giving CO with high selectivity and durability. Under irradiation with strong light intensity, the reaction rate in ReD′ exceeded that of the previous porphyrin Re complex dyad, ZnP-phen=Re. For instance, after irradiation at 560 nm for 18 h, the turnover number (TON_CO) of ReD′ reached 2800, whereas the TON_CO of ZnP-phen=Re was 170. The high activity in the system using the porphyrin dimer originates from no accumulation of the one-electron reduced species of the porphyrin that inhibit light absorption due to the inner-filter effect.

An artificial special pair was connected with a Re 2,2-bipyridine tricarbonyl complex. The special pair derivative acted as a good photosensitizer in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction, giving CO with high selectivity and durability.     

Wavelength-selective cleavage of o-nitrobenzyl and polyheteroaromatic benzyl protecting groups

Evaluation of the wavelength-selective cleavage of five photolabile protecting groups from two different families has been performed. Alanine, as a model bifunctional target molecule was masked at the amino terminal with o-nitrobenzyl group and at the carboxylic terminal with benzyl-type nitrogen and oxygen polyheteroaromatics, namely acridine, (thioxo)benzocoumarin and a coumarin built on the julolidine nucleus. The photosensitivity of the corresponding alanine conjugates was studied at selected wavelengths with HPLC/UV and ¹H NMR monitoring. The release of the fully deprotected molecule could be achieved by sequential irradiation in variable irradiation times, which were dependent on the heteroaromatic group used.     

THE MECHANISM OF PHOTOSENSITIZATION IN PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY: PHOSPHORESCENCE BEHAVIOR OF PORPHYRIN DERIVATIVES IN SALINE SOLUTION CONTAINING HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN

The phosphorescence properties, especially the dynamic behavior of metal free and metal complexed porphyrins, have been studied in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 0-3% human serum albumin (HSA). 6,7-Bisaspartyl-2,4-bis (1-hexyloxyethyl)-deutero- porphyrin (DP) and its gallium(III), zinc(II), and indium(III) complexes are used as photosensitizers. Upon irradiation, a solution of porphyrins containing more than 0.1% HSA shows phosphorescence with a lifetime longer than 1 ms. With an increase in irradiation time, phosphorescence intensities and lifetimes of porphyrins increase, depending upon their concentrations and triplet lifetimes, and approach saturated values close to those under deaerated conditions. The experimental results may be interpreted in terms of hypoxia induced by photosensitization in a local environment surrounding the sensitizer. The hypoxia is caused by the reaction between proteins and singlet molecular oxygen generated by photosensitization of porphyrins. Phosphorescence behavior of sensitizers in HSA PBS solution gives significant information for classifying photosensitizers as to their efficacy for photodynamic therapy.     

Palladium-catalyzed meso-amination and amidation of porphyrins: marked acceleration with the Ni(II) central metal ion

The preparation of meso-amino and meso-amido substituted porphyrins was easily accomplished by palladium-mediated cross-coupling reactions of meso-brominated porphyrins with amines and amides. Ni(II) introduced as a central metal ion into the substrate porphyrin markedly accelerated the cross-coupling.     

Comparison of the efficiency and the specificity of DNA-bound and free cationic porphyrin in photodynamic virus inactivation

The risk of transmitting infections by blood transfusion has been substantially reduced. However, alternative methods for inactivation of pathogens in blood and its components are needed. Application of photoactivated cationic porphyrins can offer an approach to remove non-enveloped viruses from aqueous media. Here we tested the virus inactivation capability of meso-Tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP) and meso-Tri-(4-N-methylpyridyl)monophenylporphyrin (TMPyMPP) in the dark and upon irradiation. T7 bacteriophage, as a surrogate on non-enveloped viruses was selected as a test system. TMPyP and TMPyMPP reduce the viability of T7 phage already in the dark, which can be explained by their selective binding to nucleic acid. Both compounds proved to be efficient photosensitizers of virus inactivation. The binding of porphyrin to phage DNA was not a prerequisite of phage photosensitization, moreover, photoinactivation was more efficiently induced by free than by DNA bound porphyrin. As optical melting studies and agarose gel electrophoresis of T7 nucleoprotein revealed, photoreactions of TMPyP and TMPyMPP affect the structural integrity of DNA and also of viral proteins, despite their selective DNA binding.