A general method for constructing optically active supramolecular assemblies from intrinsically achiral water-insoluble free-base porphyrins

We have developed a general method to construct optically active porphyrin supramolecular assemblies by using a simple air-water interfacial assembly process. The method involved the in situ diprotonation of the free-base porphyrins at the air-water interface and subsequent assembly under compression. We showed that two intrinsically achiral water-insoluble free-base porphyrin derivatives, 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-21H,23H-porphine (H(2)OEP) and 5,10,15,20-tetra-p-tolyl-21H,23H-porphine (H(2)TPPMe), could be diprotonated when spread onto a 2.4 M hydrochloric acid solution surface, and the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films fabricated from the subphase exhibited strong circular dichroism (CD) absorption, whereas those fabricated from pure Milli-Q water subphase did not. The experimental data suggested that the helical stacking of the achiral porphyrin building blocks was responsible for the supramolecular chirality of the assemblies. Interestingly, such a method was successfully applied to a series of other intrinsically achiral free-base porphyrins such as 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (H(2)TPPOMe), 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine (H(2)TPP), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(allyloxy)phenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (H(2)TPPOA), and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (H(2)TPPDOMe). A possible mechanism has been proposed. The method provides a facile way to obtain optically active porphyrin supramolecular assemblies by using intrinsically achiral water-insoluble free-base porphyrin derivatives.     

Chirality amplification of porphyrin assemblies exclusively constructed from achiral porphyrin derivatives.

Two achiral porphyrin derivatives, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (TPPOMe) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (TPPOH), were spread onto an air/water interface. The spreading films were transferred onto solid substrates by the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) method. Although both of the porphyrin derivatives are achiral species, the transferred LS multilayer films shows macroscopic supramolecular chirality, which is suggested to be due to the spontaneous symmetry breaking that occurs at the air/water interface. A strong CD signal is observed from the as-deposited TPPOH LS film, while a relatively weak CD signal is detected from that of TPPOMe. Interestingly, when the TPPOMe LS film was annealed in high vacuum, a significant amplification of the supramolecular chirality is observed. Atomic force microscopy observations confirm that TPPOMe form more ordered aggregates upon annealing. It is suggested that the small amount of chiral assemblies formed in the as-deposited LS film grow into larger ones following the "sergeants and soldiers" principle during the annealing process.     

肽核酸骨架分子键联卟啉的合成及结构表征

以5,10,15-三苯基-20-(4-羧基苯基)卟啉和5,10,15-三苯基-20-(4-羟基苯基)卟啉为原料, 分别与N-(Boc-氨乙基)甘氨酸乙酯(3)及其衍生物4作用, 得到了两种肽核酸骨架分子键联卟啉化合物6和8. 中间体和目标化合物均由紫外-可见光谱、红外光谱、核磁共振光谱、质谱及元素分析所确证. 目标化合物的荧光光谱测试结果表明, 肽核酸单元分子的链接对卟啉分子的荧光波长和强度影响不大.     

Investigation of free base, Mg, Sn, and Zn substituted porphyrin LB films as gas sensors for organic analytes

The visible absorption spectra of various substituted porphyrin compounds both in chloroform solution and as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) solid-state films have been investigated. The porphyrin compounds examined were the Zn, Sn, Mg, and free base derivatives of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[3,4-bis(2-ethylhexyloxy)phenyl]-21H,23H-porphine (EHO). Changes in the absorption spectra of these materials induced by their exposure to various organic compounds are reported with a view toward determining whether this is a useful approach toward an optical gas sensor.     

Supramolecular assemblies of a series of 2-arylbenzimidazoles at the air/water interface: in situ coordination, surface architecture and supramolecular chirality

The spreading behavior and supramolecular assemblies of some arylbenzimidazoles with 2-substituted aromatic groups such as phenyl, naphthyl, anthryl and pyrenyl on water surface and the subphase containing AgNO3 were investigated. It was observed that although these compounds lack long alkyl chains, they showed surface activity when spread from chloroform solution on water surface and formed the supramolecular assemblies. When AgNO3 was present in the subphase, a coordination between the imidazole group of the compounds and Ag(I) occurred in situ in the spreading film, which was verified by the surface pressure/area (pi-A) isotherms and UV/Vis absorption spectra. Both the spreading films from water and the aqueous AgNO3 subphase were transferred onto solid substrates and their surface morphologies as well as properties were characterized by AFM, UV/Vis absorption and CD spectra. Various surface morphologies such as nanoparticles, block domains and nanoutensils were observed depending on the substituted aromatic groups. Interestingly, although all of these compounds were achiral, supramolecular chirality was obtained for some of the arylbenzimidazole films assembled from either the water surface or the subphase containing AgNO3. It was revealed that chiral assemblies could be obtained from water surface for the benzimidazoles which have pyrenyl or alpha-naphthyl groups. For benzimidazole derivative with anthryl group, chiral assemblies could be obtained when spreading on the aqueous AgNO3 subphase. For the benzimidazoles with phenyl or beta-naphthyl groups, no chirality was obtained. It was suggested that both the overcrowded stacking of the aromatic groups and the cooperative arrangement of the molecules on water surface or aqueous AgNO3 subphase play a crucial role in forming the chiral supramolecular assemblies.     

Selective interactions of porphyrins with semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

A derivatized porphyrin with long alkyl chains, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(hexadecyloxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine, is selective toward semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in presumably noncovalent interactions, resulting in significantly enriched semiconducting SWNTs in the solubilized sample and predominantly metallic SWNTs in the residual solid sample according to Raman, near-IR absorption, and bulk conductivity characterizations.     

Organostannoxane-supported multiferrocenyl assemblies: synthesis, novel supramolecular structures, and electrochemistry

Organostannoxane-based multiredox assemblies containing ferrocenyl peripheries have been readily synthesized by a simple one-pot synthesis, either by a solution method or by room-temperature solid-state synthesis, in nearly quantitative yields. The number of ferrocenyl units in the multiredox assembly is readily varied by stoichiometric control as well as by the choice of the organotin precursors. Thus, the reaction of the diorganotin oxides, R2SnO (R = Ph, nBu and tBu) with ferrocene carboxylic acid affords tetra-, di-, and mononuclear derivatives [{Ph2Sn[OC(O)Fc]2}2] (1), [{[nBu2SnOC(O)Fc]2O}2] (2), [nBu2Sn{OC(O)Fc}2] (3), [{tBu2Sn(OH)OC(O)Fc}2] (4), and [tBu2Sn{OC(O)Fc}2] (5) (Fc = eta(5)C5H4-Fe-eta(5)C5H5). The reaction of triorganotin oxides, R3SnOSnR3 (R = nBu and Ph) with ferrocene carboxylic acid leads to the formation of the mono-nuclear derivatives [Ph3SnOC(O)Fc] (6) and [{nBu3SnOC(O)Fc}(n)] (7). Molecular structures of the compounds 1-4 and 6 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The molecular structure of compound 1 is new among organotin carboxylates. In this compound, ferrocenyl carboxylates are involved in both chelating and bridging coordination modes to the tin atoms to form an eight-membered cyclic structure. In all of these compounds, the acidic protons of the cyclopentadienyl groups are hydrogen bonded to the carboxylate oxygens (C-HO) to form rich supramolecular assemblies. In addition to this, pi-pi, T-shaped, L-shaped, and side-to-face stacking interactions involving ferrocenyl groups also occur. Compound 6 shows an interesting and novel intermolecular CO2-pi stacking interaction. Electrochemical analysis of the compounds 1-4, 6, and 7 shows a single, quasi-reversible oxidation peak corresponding to the simultaneous oxidation of four, two, and one ferrocenyl substituents, respectively. Compound 5 shows two quasi-reversible oxidation peaks. This is attributed to the positional difference among the ferrocenyl substituents on the tin atom. Additionally, while compounds 2 and 4 are electrochemically quite robust and do not decompose even after ten continuous CV cycles, compounds 1, and 3, 5-7 start to show decomposition after five cycles.     

Synthesis, characterization, physicochemical, and photophysical studies of redox switchable NIR dye derived from a ruthenium-dioxolene-porphyrin system

Newly synthesized semi-quinone derivatives of the ruthenium polypyridyl, covalently linked to a porphyrin core, show very high epsilon values (59,000-83,500 M(-1)cm(-1)) for the absorption band in the near infrared (NIR) region of the spectrum. Further, complexes 1-4 show an interesting reversible electrochromic behavior as a function of the redox state of the coordinated dioxolene functionality, and a switching phenomenon between bleaching and the restoration of the NIR peak could be achieved electrochemically. Thus, complexes 1-4 could be ideal candidate materials for NIR-active electrochromic devices. Ultrafast studies on 1 and its mononuclear components, 5-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenyl-21H,23H-porphyrin (H2L1) and Ru(bpy)2(bsq)+, reveal that there is no electron or energy transfer from the porphyrin to the Ru(bpy)2sq+ (bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine and sq is the deprotonated species of a substituted semi-quinone fragment) fragment or vice versa in 1. The observed decrease in the luminescence quantum yield for 1 compared to that of H2L1 can be ascribed to the increased nonradiative pathway due to higher vibronic coupling because of the direct linkage of the metal center to the porphyrin moiety.     

Self-assembly and gelation behavior of tris(phenylisoxazolyl)benzenes

Low-molecular-mass organic gelators (LMOG), tris(phenylisoxazolyl)benzenes, were synthesized, and their self-assembling behavior was examined using (1)H NMR and UV-vis absorption spectroscopies. They turned into a gel in both nonpolar and highly polar solvents such as methylcyclohexane, ether, acetone, dimethylsulfoxide, etc. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) observation of the xerogels of 1 and 3 possessing the saturated alkyl chains revealed that well-developed straight fibers were formed, whereas the unsaturated termini of the alkyl chains of 2 promoted the formation of both the right- and left-handed helical fibers. The self-association behavior of 1, 2, and 5 in solution were investigated using (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies. The flat aromatic compound 1 stacked in a columnar fashion along its C(3) axis via π-π stacking interactions. The assemblies were regulated by the peripheral alkyl substituents; the saturated alkyl groups facilitated the assemblies while terminal double bonds impeded the intermolecular association, and the branched substituents obviously interfered in the formation of the stacks, probably due to steric requirements. Theoretical calculations suggest that the three dipoles of the isoxazole groups adopt the circular array. The conformational search of the hexameric stacks of 4 using MacroModel V9.1 gave rise to two major conformers: one is nonhelical and the other is helical. Further detailed structural analysis of the assemblies of chiral 5 using circular dichroism (CD) measurements indicated that their assemblies adopt helical structures in solution. CD spectra and DFT calculations revealed that R-5 forms a left-handed supramolecular helicate. The coassembly of R- and S-5 displayed chiral amplification, since the chiral information from 5 was transferred to the supramolecular chirality of the helical assemblies of 1. A small amount of optically active 5 provided enough chiral stimulus to produce a remarkable chiral response and supramolecular helical structures of 1.     

Non‐Centrosymmetric Homochiral Supramolecular Polymers of Tetrahedral Subphthalocyanine Molecules

A combination of spectroscopy (UV/Vis absorption, emission, and circular dichroism), microscopy (AFM and TEM), and computational studies reveal the formation of non‐centrosymmetric homochiral columnar subphthalocyanine assemblies. These assemblies form through a cooperative supramolecular polymerization process driven by hydrogen‐bonding between amide groups, π–π stacking, and dipolar interactions between axial B? F bonds.     

Aggregation of two carboxylic derivatives of porphyrin and their affinity to bovine serum albumin

Aggregation of two porphyrin derivatives with carboxylic groups, 4-oxo-4-((4-(10,15,20-triphenyl-21H,23H-porphin-5-yl)phenyl)amino)butanoic acid (MAC) and 4,4',4',4'-[21H,23H-porphine-5,10,15,20-tetrayltetrakis(4,1-phenyleneimino)]tetrakis(4-oxo-butanoic acid) (TA4C), and their affinity to bovine serum albumin were investigated via absorption spectrometry, (1)H NMR and fluorescence spectrometry. MAC and its complexes with beta-cyclodextrin could form aggregates in an aqueous solution while TA4C was self-associated loosely. From the absorbance profiles of MAC in the titration of bovine serum albumin, hypochromicity was observed without any shift of the maximum absorbance wavelength. In both absorption spectra of TA4C in aqueous solutions and in solid state, three Q bands appeared in the visible region. In the measurements of absorption and fluorescence spectra upon titration of BSA, some spectral changes of TA4C were observed. The whole procedure of titration could be divided into three successive stages. The three-banded profiles of TA4C might be explained according to a loose dimer model.     

Synthesis of functionalized porphyrins as oxygen ligand receptors

Oxophilic synthetic receptors were designed and synthesized using a porphyrin scaffold, with the aim of constructing a preorganized complementary binding site for phenols and carbohydrates. We pursued three strategies for phenol recognition: (1) Lewis acid/Lewis base combinations serving as a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor for the OH group, (2) Lewis base/pi-pi stacking, targeting both the OH group and the aromatic moiety of phenols, and (3) exchange of the axial hydroxyl ligand on a trivalent and oxophilic metal center of aluminum porphyrin. For the recognition of acidic phenols, the most promising recognition motif was Lewis base/pi-pi stacking, which can bind to phenols with a hydrogen bond and pi-pi stacking interactions. [5-(8-Quinolyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato]zinc binds to p-nitrophenol with a binding constant of 540 M(-)(1) in CHCl(3) at 25 degrees C. For carbohydrate recognition, we designed the metalloporphyrin receptor having 8-quinolyl groups and o-carbomethoxymethoxyphenyl groups, where these Lewis basic parts serve as the cooperative hydrogen bonding sites for the hydroxyl groups of glucoside. The receptor binds to beta-octyl glucoside with a binding constant of 7.35 x 10(4) M(-)(1) in CHCl(3) at 15 degrees C, demonstrating importance of formation of a highly ordered hydrogen bonding network between the receptor and the guest. These binding features have significant implications for the rational design of oxophilic artificial receptors.     

Determining charge transport pathways through single porphyrin molecules using scanning tunneling microscopy break junctions

Charge transport in a porphyrin with four identical pyridyl substituents, 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (TPyP), was investigated using the scanning tunneling microscopy break junction method. To determine the dominant pathway, we studied two structurally similar porphyrins, o-DPyP and p-DPyP. Our experiments reveal that charge transport through TPyP in a break junction configuration does not follow the traditional assumption, i.e., the shortest path between the neighboring side groups. Instead, the charge transport pathway was dominated by the farthest anchoring groups. Furthermore, these single molecule experiments can distinguish between the two structural isomers, which is important in molecular discrimination, porphyrin chemistry, and molecular electronics.     

Synthesis and different substituent effects on spectral and electrochemical properties of porphyrin nicotinic acid binary compounds

The porphyrin nicotinic acid binary compounds with different substituents in porphine rings (5-(4-nicotinicoxyldecyloxy)phenyl-10,15,20-triphenylporhyrin 2a, 5-(4-nicotinicoxyldecyloxy)phenyl-10,15,20-tri(4-chlorophenyl)porphyrin 2b and 5-(4-nicotinicoxyldecyloxy)phenyl-10,15,20-tri(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin 2c) were synthesized. All of them have been characterized, assigned and analyzed by UV–vis, IR, MS and ¹H NMR spectra. Their electrochemical and spectroscopic properties were studied by using cyclic voltammetry, fluorescence spectra and Resonance Raman spectra. Different substituents have a little influence on electrochemical behavior and fluorescence spectra. In the Resonance Raman spectra, the substituent has little influence on the skeleton vibration of porphyrin and has much influence on the vibration of phenyl.     

几种取代胡椒醛缩合不对称卟啉化合物的合成及结构表征

利用微波加热法, 以6-硝基胡椒醛、两种R取代苯甲醛(R＝H, Cl)、吡咯为原料, 在丙酸中缩合, 合成了两种新的不对称卟啉化合物5-(2-硝基-4,5-亚甲二氧基)苯基-10,15,20-三苯基卟啉(2)和5-(2-硝基-4,5-亚甲二氧基)苯基-10,15, 20-三对氯苯基卟啉(3). 将2和3还原得到了化合物5-(2-氨基-4,5-亚甲二氧基)苯基-10,15,20-三苯基卟啉(4)和5-(2-氨 基-4,5-亚甲二氧基)苯基-10,15,20-三对氯苯基卟啉(5). 新化合物结构分别经UV-Vis, IR, ¹H NMR及元素分析所证实. 荧光测试表明, 几个化合物都有比较好的荧光强度, 且氨基取代化合物的荧光强度比相应的硝基化合物的大.     

Two-dimensional self-organization of phthalocyanine and porphyrin: dependence on the crystallographic orientation of Au

By immersing Au substrate into a benzene solution containing both cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoPc) and copper(II) tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine (CuTPP), a two-dimensional alternate bimolecular structure was formed on the reconstructed Au(100)-(hex) surface.     

Synthesis, Reactivity, and Spectroscopic Properties of meso-Triaryl-5-oxaporphyrins

[meso-Triaryl-21,23-didehydro-23H-5-oxaporphyrinato](trifluoroacetato)zinc(II) was prepared by the reaction of meso-triarylbilindione with acetic anhydride and zinc acetate, and it was isolated as a trifluoroacetate salt. The X-ray crystallographic study demonstrated that the trifluoroacetate anion was coordinated to the zinc ion. [21,23-Didehydro-10,15,20-tris(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-23H-5-oxaporphyrinato](trifluoroacetato)zinc(II) 3a was dissolved in various organic solvents such as toluene, chloroform, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, DMSO, and DMF, although it readily reacted with alcohols and DMF to yield linear tetrapyrroles. The solubility of 3a in toluene was 4.2 ± 0.1 g dm(-3) at room temperature. 3a showed characteristic UV-vis absorption at 649 nm and fluorescence emission at 657 nm in chloroform. The fluorescence quantum yields of 3a, [21,23-didehydro-10,15,20-triphenyl-23H-5-oxaporphyrinato](trifluoroacetato)zinc(II) (3c), and [21,23-didehydro-10,15,20-tris(4-methoxyphenyl)-23H-5-oxaporphyrinato](trifluoroacetato)zinc(II) (3b) were 0.071, 0.071, and 0.050, respectively. Reaction of 3a with EtOH afforded the zinc complex of 19-ethoxybilinone, and it proceeded 2 orders of magnitude faster than that of [β-octaalkyl-21,23-didehydro-23H-5-oxaporphyrinato]zinc(II). The reaction with alcohols was sensitive to steric bulk of the alcohols; the rate of reaction with i-PrOH was 2700 times faster than that of t-BuOH at 303 K. The reaction of [meso-triaryl-21,23-didehydro-23H-5-oxaporphyrinato]zinc(II) with water proceeded 3 orders of magnitude slower than that with EtOH.     

Simultaneous interactions of pyridine with substituted benzene ring and H–F in X-ben⊥pyr···H–F complexes: a cooperative study

The cooperative effects between T-shape stacking and hydrogen bond interactions in X-ben⊥pyr···H–F complexes were investigated in this work. The results indicate that the electron-withdrawing/donating substituents decrease/increase the magnitude of the binding energies compared to the unsubstituted X-ben⊥pyr···H–F (X = H) complex. The cooperative effects have been studied while using the atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) methods, allowing us to evaluate the interplay between T-shape stacking and hydrogen bond interactions. There are good relationships among binding energies, Hammett constants, geometrical parameters, and the results of AIM and NBO analysis in X-ben⊥pyr···H–F complexes.     

烟酸-卟啉二元化合物的合成、表征及其电化学性质

通过亲核取代反应合成了3个新的烟酸-卟啉二元化合物, 并用红外光谱、紫外-可见光谱、核磁共振氢谱、元素分析和质谱对化合物的结构进行确认, 通过循环伏安法研究了其电化学性质.     

Synthesis of some multi-β-substituted cationic porphyrins and studies on their interaction with DNA

A series of multi-β-substituted cationic porphyrins, 2,3,12,13-tetraphenyl-5-(N-trimethyl-4-ammoniumphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin 2; 2,3,12,13-tetramethyl-5-(N-trimethyl-4-ammoniumphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin 3; 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaphenyl-5-(N-trimethyl-4-ammoniumphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin 4, and 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaphenyl-5,10-di(N-trimethyl-4-ammoniumphenyl)-15,20-diphenylporphyrin 5, have been synthesized. Their photooxidative abilities and interaction with DNA were investigated by UV, fluorescence, CD, and gel electrophoresis. It is found that substituents at β-position of the porphyrins have significant effect on interactions and binding mode of the porphyrins with DNA. Increasing positive charges in the porphyrins strengthen their interactions with DNA.