Aromatic pathways of porphins, chlorins, and bacteriochlorins

Magnetically induced current densities have been calculated for free-base porphynoids using the gauge including magnetically induce current (GIMIC) method. Numerical integration of the current density passing selected chemical bonds yields current pathways and the degree of aromaticity according to the magnetic criterion. The ring-current strengths of the porphins, chlorins, and bacteriochlorins are 1.5-2.5 times stronger than for benzene. The calculations show that the 18π [16]annulene inner cross is not the correct picture of the aromatic pathway for porphyrins. All conjugated chemical bonds participate in the current transport independently of the formal number of π electrons. The ring current branches at the pyrrolic rings taking both the outer and the inner route. The NH unit of the pyrrolic rings has a larger resistance and a weaker current strength than the pyrroles without inner hydrogens. The traditional 18π [18]annulene with inactive NH bridges is not how the ring-current flows around the macroring. The porphins have the strongest ring current of ca. 27 nA/T among the investigated porphynoids. The current strengths of the chlorins and bacteriochlorins are 19-24 nA/T depending on whether the ring current is forced to pass an NH unit or not. The current strengths of the 3-fold and 4-fold β-saturated porphynoids are 13-17 nA/T, showing that the inner-cross 18π [16]annulene pathway is not a preferred current route.     

Interplay of para- and diatropic ring currents [(anti)aromaticity] of macrocyclic rings subject to conformational influences,further annelation and hydrogenation of aromatic ring moieties

The spatial magnetic properties (Through Space NMR Shieldings—TSNMRS) of a variety of porphyrins, hemiporphyrazines and tetraoxo[8]circulenes have been computed, visualized as Iso-chemical Shielding Surfaces (ICSS) of various size and direction, and were examined subject to the interplay of present (para)-diatropic ring currents [(anti)aromaticity] and influences on the latter property originating from the macrocyclic ring conformation, further annelation and partial to complete hydrogenation of aromatic ring moieties. Caution seems to be indicated when concluding from a single NICS parameter to present (para)diatropic ring currents [(anti)aromaticity].     

The induced current strengths and aromatic pathways of heteroporphyrins and their antiaromatic derivatives

The magnetically induced current strengths as well as nucleus independent chemical shifts of aromatic heteroporphyrins and antiaromatic 22,24‐dideazaheteroporphyrins have been studied using the density functional theory method. The induced current strengths and pathways are obtained by numerical integration of the induced current densities following the specific chemical bonds. The total induced current strengths of antiaromatic 22,24‐dideazaheteroporphyrins is about 6 nA/T weaker than the one for the heteroporphyrins in absolute value. The substitution of pyrrole NH groups by O and S atoms does not change the total induced current strengths. The induced currents around the molecular macroring split at the heterocycles (pyrrole, furan, and thiophene) into the inner and outer routes. The heteroatoms (N, O, and S) have high resistance and consequently lead to a weaker induced current strength than the one passing the outer route in aromatic heteroporphyrins. For antiaromatic 22,24‐dideazaheteroporphyrins, the heteroatoms enhance the current strength and change the main current pathway into the inner route. The induced current strength following the NH moiety is stronger than the one passing the oxygen moiety of furan ring and the sulfur moiety of the thiophene ring in both heteroporphyrins and 22,24‐dideazaheteroporphyrins. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterizations of free base and Cu(II) complex of a porphyrin sheet

Free base porphyrin sheet 5 was prepared by demetalation of zinc complex 1, which was now more conveniently prepared in 30% yield by oxidation of a mixture of tetraporphyrins, 8, 9, and 11. The ¹H NMR spectrum of 5 shows no indication of an aromatic ring current for the porphyrin rings and evidences the freezing of the pyrrolic NH protons at the most inner and outer corner positions, both of which contrast sharply with strong aromatic ring currents and rapid NH tautomerism of normal porphyrins. DFT calculations supported the experimental results, suggesting that the enforced planar COT core causes these unique properties. The free base 5 was transformed into Cu(II) complex 6 that exhibits antiferromagnetic interaction among the Cu(II) ions with J=−1.16 cm⁻¹.     

Diamagnetic and paramagnetic ring currents in expanded porphyrins

Ipsocentric current density maps are computed at the coupled Hartree-Fock level in the 6-31G** basis set for the planar C(2v) B3LYP geometries of the expanded porphyrins, sapphyrin and orangarin. Both give clearly dominant global macrocyclic ring currents, but with opposite senses of circulation: in 22[small pi] sapphyrin, a diatropic current runs, with some bifurcation, around the conventional 22-centre delocalisation pathway; in 20[small pi] orangarin, a paratropic current runs around the inner 17-atom pathway. In agreement with the annulene analogy for these macrocycles, analysis of orbital contributions shows that in each case topology, energy and symmetry of the frontier orbitals together determine the macrocyclic ring current. In sapphryrin, 4-electron diamagnetism (aromaticity) arises from translationally allowed HOMO-LUMO excitations as in benzene itself; in orangarin, 2-electron paramagnetism (antiaromaticity) arises from rotationally allowed HOMO-LUMO excitations as in planarised cyclooctatetraene. The active orbitals invoked in the explanation of ring currents are those involved in the longstanding four-orbital model of porphyrin electronic spectra.     

Interpreting Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity through Bifurcation Analysis of the Induced Magnetic Field

In all molecules, a current density is induced when the molecule is subjected to an external magnetic field. In turn, this current density creates a particular magnetic field. In this work, the bifurcation value of the induced magnetic field is analyzed in a representative set of aromatic, non-aromatic and antiaromatic monocycles, as well as a set of polycyclic hydrocarbons. The results show that the bifurcation value of the ring-shaped domain adequately classifies the studied molecules according to their aromatic character. For aromatic and nonaromatic molecules, it is possible to analyze two ring-shaped domains, one diatropic (inside the molecular ring) and one paratropic (outside the molecular ring). Meanwhile, for antiaromatic rings, only a diatropic ring-shaped domain (outside the molecular ring) is possible to analyze, since the paratropic domain (inside the molecular ring) is irreducible with the maximum value (attractor) at the center of the molecular ring. In some of the studied cases, i. e., in heteroatomic species, bifurcation values do not follow aromaticity trends and present some inconsistencies in comparison to ring currents strengths, showing that this approximation provides only a qualitative estimation about (anti)aromaticity.     

Aromaticity of organic heterocyclothiazenes and analogues

Members of a series of carbon-poor sulfur-nitrogen heterocycles and polycycles are shown by direct ab initio ipsocentric calculation to support diatropic ring currents and hence to be aromatic on the basis of magnetic criteria. They include 7-cycles S(3)N(2)(CH)(2), S(3)N(3)(CH), and S(3)N(4) and 8-cycles S(2)N(4)(CH)(2) and S(2)N(2)(CH)(4), all with 10 pi electrons. The unknown trithiatetrazepine S(3)N(4) is predicted to be at least as aromatic as its known diaza and triaza homologues. Angular-momentum arguments show that the pi-electron-rich nature of (4n + 2) SN heterocycles is the key to their diatropic current. The Woodward dithiatetrazocine parent framework S(2)N(4)(CH)(2) supports a diatropic ring current, as does its analogue in which N and CH groups are formally exchanged. Formal expansion of (4n + 2)-pi carbocyclic systems by insertion of NSN motifs in every CC bond is predicted to lead to structures that support diatropic ring currents: explicit ab initio calculation of magnetic response predicts the 24-center, 30-pi-electron heterocycle S(6)N(12)(CH)(6), formally derived from benzene, to be aromatic on the basis of this criterion.     

The phenalenyl motif: a magnetic chameleon

The 12pi cation (3) and 14pi anion (4) derived from the phenalenyl radical (2) support diatropic ("aromatic") perimeter ring currents, but isoelectronic replacement of the central atom by either boron (5) or nitrogen (6) leads to paratropic ("antiaromatic") current; the ipsocentric approach to molecular magnetic response accounts for all four patterns in terms of competition between translationally and rotationally allowed virtual pi-pi* excitations.     

Aromatic and antiaromatic gold(III) hexaphyrins with multiple gold-carbon bonds

Au(III) metalation of hexakis(pentafluorophenyl) [26]hexaphyrin led to formation of aromatic mono-Au(III) hexaphyrin and bis-Au(III) hexaphyrin, in which the inner pyrrolic beta-protons are activated to form gold-carbon bonds, hence accommodating Au(III) ion with a NNCC core in a square planar manner. Two-electron reductions of these complexes with NaBH4 provided the corresponding [28]hexaphyrin complexes which exhibit distinct paratropic ring currents.     

Preparation of six isomeric bis-acylporphyrins with chromophores reaching the near-infrared via intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction

We describe the preparation of six diketones based on the frameworks of five bis-naphthoporphyrins and one perinaphthoporphyrin. All diketones derive from meso-tetraarylporphyrins having incorporated two carbonyl groups, each one connected to one beta-pyrrole carbon and one ortho carbon atom from a meso-aryl group. These compounds were all produced in good yield by intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation, either from porphyrins meso-substituted by o-carboxyphenyl or o,o'-dicarboxyphenyl substituents or from porphyrins bearing carboxy groups attached to the pyrrolic beta-positions. Although the former reaction does not show significant regioselectivity when run on nickel complexes, the opposite is true for the corresponding free bases. All diketones show a spectacular bathochromic shift of the UV-vis absorption, the longest wavelength bands absorbing in the 700-825 nm range. Two compounds were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. In the case of the diketone, whose carbonyl groups are attached to vicinal pyrrolic beta-positions, a significant intermolecular interaction between the two carbonyl groups and an aromatic hydrogen atom was detected.     

A unified orbital model of delocalised and localised currents in monocycles, from annulenes to azabora-heterocycles

Why are some (4n+2)π systems aromatic, and some not? The ipsocentric approach to the calculation of the current density induced in a molecule by an external magnetic field predicts a four‐electron diatropic (aromatic) ring current for (4n+2)π carbocycles and a two‐electron paratropic (antiaromatic) current for (4n)π carbocycles. With the inclusion of an electronegativity parameter, an ipsocentric frontier‐orbital model also predicts the transition from delocalised currents in carbocycles to nitrogen‐localised currents in alternating azabora‐heterocycles, which rationalises the differences in (magnetic) aromaticity between these isoelectronic π‐conjugated systems. Ab initio valence‐bond calculations confirm the localisation predicted by the naïve model, and coupled‐Hartree–Fock calculations give current‐density maps that exhibit the predicted delocalised‐to‐localised/carbocycle–heterocycle transition.     

Aromatic pathways in mono- and bisphosphorous singly Möbius twisted [28] and [30]hexaphyrins

Magnetically induced current densities and strengths of currents passing through selected bonds have been calculated for monophosphorous [28]hexaphyrin ((PO)[28]hp) and for bisphosphorous [30]hexaphyrin ((PO)(2)[30]hp) at the density functional theory level using our gauge-including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) approach. The current-density calculations yield quantitative information about electron-delocalization pathways and aromatic properties of singly M?bius twisted hexaphyrins. The calculations confirm that (PO)[28]hp sustains a strong diatropic ring current (susceptibility) of 15 nA T(-1) and can be considered aromatic, whereas (PO)(2)[30]hp is antiaromatic as it sustains a paratropic ring current of -10 nA T(-1). Numerical integration of the current density passing through selected bonds shows that the current is generally split at the pyrroles into an outer and an inner pathway. For the pyrrole with the NH moiety pointing outwards, the diatropic ring current of (PO)[28]hp takes the outer route across the NH unit, whereas for (PO)(2)[30]hp, the paratropic ring current passes through the inner C(β)=C(β) double bond. The main diatropic ring current of (PO)[28]hp generally prefers the outer routes at the pyrroles, whereas the paratropic ring current of (PO)(2)[30]hp prefers the inner ones. In some cases, the ring current is rather equally split along the two pathways at the pyrroles. The calculated ring-current pathways do not agree with those deduced from measured (1)H NMR chemical shifts.     

Endocyclic extension of porphyrin pi-system by interior functionalization of N-confused porphyrins

Internally alkynylated or cyanated N-confused porphyrins have been prepared, and these have been characterized by NMR, UV/Vis/NIR absorption, and X-ray analysis. The desired porphyrins have been synthesized by interconversion between an N-confused porphyrin and an N-fused porphyrin. In the case of terminal alkyne derivatives, intramolecular addition of a pyrrolic NH moiety to the triple bond occurred at ambient temperature to give etheno-bridged N-confused porphyrins. Significant bathochromic shifts in the absorbances of these compounds may be reasonably explained in terms of an increase in their HOMO energy levels due to effective overlap of the porphyrin pi-orbital and the bridged alkene pi-orbital. The corresponding rhodium(I) complexes have also been prepared, and these have been characterized by NMR and X-ray analysis.     

Cu-mediated syntheses of N-fused and ring-modified trithiahexaphyrins

The reaction of the antiaromatic [28]trithiahexaphyrin (TTHP) with Cu(I) in DMF gives a novel fused-ring trithiahexaphyrin with the elimination of a chloride on a dichlorophenyl ring and bond formation to the outward oriented pyrrolic nitrogen to form a 5,5,6-tricyclic internal ring system. The NMR spectra, which display characteristics of an antiaromatic compound, agree with the proposed structure. Meanwhile, reactions of TTHP with amines in the presence of Cu(I) give amino-group-inserted hexaphyrins with the amino nitrogen joined to a beta-thiophenic carbon and the alpha-carbon of the alkylamine cyclized to the inward pyrrolic nitrogen to form a 5,7,5-tricyclic rings. The crystal structure of the fused-ring product indicates a rectangular geometry with a tilted tricyclic ring system, while the ring-modified TTHP-DMA complex gives a triangular trithiahexaphyrin core. This report demonstrates methods to incorporate functionalized heterocyclic rings into expanded porphyrins.     

A directly fused tetrameric porphyrin sheet and its anomalous electronic properties that arise from the planar cyclooctatetraene core

Oxidation of a directly meso-meso linked cyclic porphyrin tetramer 2 gave a porphyrin sheet 3. The symmetric square structure of 3 is indicated by its simple 1H NMR spectrum that exhibits only two signals for the porphyrin beta-protons. The absorption spectrum of 3 displays characteristic Soret-like broad bands and weak Q-bands, and its magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectrum exhibits a negative Faraday A term at the 762 nm band as a rare case, indicating the absorption as a transition from a nondegenerate level to a degenerate level. A slightly longer S1-state (1.1 ps) and smaller TPA cross section (2750 GM) than a tetrameric linear porphyrin tape also indicate its unique electronic properties. The porphyrin sheet 3 forms stable 1:2 complexes with guest molecules G1 and G2, whose 1H NMR spectra exhibit remarkable downfield shifts for the guest protons that are located just above the cyclooctatetraene (COT) core of 3, whereas the imidazolyl protons bound to the zinc(II) porphyrin local cores are observed at slightly upfield positions. These results have been qualitatively accounted for in terms of the presence of a strong paratropic ring current around the COT core that propagates through the whole pi-electronic network of 3, hence competing with and cancelling the weak diatropic ring currents of the local zinc(II) porphyrins. This explanation was supported by DFT calculation performed at the GIAO-B3LYP/6-31G level, which indicated large positive NICS values within the COT core and small NICS values within the local zinc(II) porphyrins.     

Rational syntheses of cyclic hexameric porphyrin arrays for studies of self-assembling light-harvesting systems.

Two new cyclic hexameric arrays of porphyrins have been prepared in a rational, convergent manner. The porphyrins in each cyclic hexamer are joined by diphenylethyne linkers affording a wheel-like array with a diameter of approximately 35 A. One array is comprised of five zinc (Zn) porphyrins and one free base (Fb) porphyrin (cyclo-Zn(5)FbU) while the other is comprised of an alternating sequence of two Zn porphyrins and one Fb porphyrin (cyclo-Zn(2)FbZn(2)FbU). The prior synthesis employed a one-flask template-directed process and afforded alternating Zn and Fb porphyrins or all Zn porphyrins. More diverse metalation patterns are attractive for manipulating the flow of excited-state energy in the arrays. The rational synthesis of each array employed three Pd-mediated coupling reactions with four tetraarylporphyrin building blocks bearing diethynyl, diiodo, bromo/iodo, or iodo/ethynyl groups. The final ring closure yielding the cyclic hexamer was achieved by reaction of a porphyrin pentamer + porphyrin monomer or the joining of two porphyrin trimers. In the presence of a tripyridyl template, the yields of the 5 + 1 and 3 + 3 reactions ranged from 10 to 13%. The 5 + 1 reaction in the absence of the template proceeded in 3.5% yield, thereby establishing the structure-directed contribution to cyclic hexamer formation. The 3 + 3 route relied on successive ethyne + iodo/bromo coupling reactions. One template-directed route to cyclo-Zn(2)FbZn(2)FbU employed a magnesium porphyrin, affording cyclo-Zn(2)FbZn(2)MgU from which magnesium was selectively removed. The arrays exhibit absorption spectra that are nearly the sum of the spectra of the component parts, indicating weak electronic coupling. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the quantum yield of energy transfer in toluene at room temperature from the Zn porphyrins to the Fb porphyrin(s) was 60% in cyclo-Zn(5)FbU and 90% in cyclo-Zn(2)FbZn(2)FbU. Two dipyridyl-substituted porphyrins, a Zn tetraarylporphyrin and a Fb oxaporphyrin, have been synthesized for use as guests in the cyclic hexamers, affording self-assembled arrays for light-harvesting studies.     

Stepwise fusion of porphyrin β,β'-pyrrolic positions to imidazole rings

A strategy for the stepwise annulation of pyrrolic rings of a porphyrin to imidazole rings is presented. Mono(imidazole), Janus and corner bis(imidazole), T-shaped tris(imidazole), and tetrakis(imidazole) porphyrins have been synthesized and characterized.     

Expanded porphyrins and aromaticity

meso-Aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins that are porphyrin homologues consisting of more than five pyrrolic units are a nice platform to realize diverse aromatic and antiaromatic species as well as stable radical species. They are also an ideal series to realize topologically twisted molecules with distinct M?bius aromaticity and antiaromaticity.     

Synthesis and characterization of beta-trifluoromethyl-meso-tetraphenylporphyrins

Beta-trifluoromethyl-meso-tetraphenylporphyrins were synthesized to investigate the electronic and steric effects of the trifluoromethyl groups on the macrocycle. Preparation of these novel porphyrins was carried out by copper-assisted trifluoromethylation of beta-tetrabromo-meso-tetraphenylporphyrin metal complexes and in situ generated CF3Cu. For comparison, the beta-methyl analogues were also prepared. Analysis of beta-trifluoromethylporphyrins by UV-vis, NMR, and cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the electron-withdrawing effects of the trifluoromethyl groups on the antipodal pyrroles required the macrocycle to take a fixed 18pi-electron pathway. UV-vis, CV, and molecular modeling studies suggest that the novel porphyrins are distorted following introduction of trifluoromethyl groups onto the pyrrolic beta-position of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin. The pK(a) difference of beta-tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)-meso-tetraphenylporphyrin from that of DBU in CH2Cl2, obtained by spectrophotometric titration, affirms that it is one of the most electron-deficient porphyrins so far prepared.