Inverted porphyrins and expanded porphyrins: An overview

Porphyrins and metallopophyrins have attracted the attention of chemists for the past 100 years or more owing to their widespread involvement in biology. More recently, synthetic porphyrins and porphyrin-like macrocycles have attracted the attention of researchers due to their diverse applications as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy, MRI contrasting agents, and complexing agents for larger metal ions and also for their anion binding abilities. The number of π-electrons in the porphyrin ring can be increased either by increasing the numberof conjugated double bonds between the pyrrole rings or by increasing the number of heterocyclic rings. Thus, 22π sapphyrins, 26π rubyrins, 30π heptaphyrins, 34π octaphyrins and higher cyclic polypyrrole analogues containing 40π, 48π, 64π, 80π and 96π systems have recently been reported in the literature. These macrocycles show rich structural diversity where normal and different kinds of inverted structures have been identified. In this review, an attempt has been made to collect the literature of the inverted porphyrins and expanded porphyrins reported until December 2001. Since themeso aryl expanded porphyrins have tendency to form both inverted and non-inverted structures more emphasis has been given tomeso aryl expanded porphyrins.     

Acid-base and spectroelectrochemical properties of doubly N-confused porphyrins

The cis-doubly N-confused porphyrin, H2N2CP, containing two adjacent confused pyrrole rings has been investigated from the point of view of its acid-base and electrochemical behavior in dichloromethane. This novel porphyrin isomer can form two metal-carbon bonds in the central core, stabilizing metal ions in unusually high oxidation states. Furthermore, the two outside N-pyrrole atoms remain available for acid-base and specific solvent interactions. Protonation of the pyrrole N atoms proceeds according to two successive steps, while only a single deprotonation step has been observed in the presence of bases. Similarly, in the case of the silver and copper complexes the protonation and deprotonation of the outer pyrrole rings have been detected, confirming the structure of the metalated species as M(III)-HN2CP. The electrochemical reduction of the metal ions (III/II redox process) and oxidation of the macrocycle ring have been detected respectively at -0.9 and 1.4 V based on spectroelectrochemical measurements in conjunction with the acid/base equilibrium studies. Additional waves observed around -0.5 and 1.3 V have been assigned to redox processes involving water molecules associated with the doubly N-confused porphyrins.     

New application for expanded porphyrins: sapphyrin and heterosapphyrins as inhibitors of Leishmania parasites

Sapphyrins and a series of related porphyrinoid macrocycles have been investigated as potential agents for the treatment of leishmaniasis. The effectiveness of the compounds was evaluated in vitro upon incubation with Leishmania tarentolae or L. panamensis amastigotes and promastigotes. Their effectiveness was also assessed against intracellular L. panamensis. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated in vitro using the U937 human promonocyte cell line. Effectiveness and cytotoxicity were assessed in the presence and absence of visible light to assess the photodynamic activity of the compounds. Sapphyrin and two related heterosapphyrins were shown to be particularly effective as inhibitors of Leishmania. A photodynamic effect was observed, which may be attributed to the formation of reactive oxygen species. Yields of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) produced were determined in ethanol solutions by direct measurement of (1)O(2) phosphorescence. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that sapphyrin and related macrocycles were taken up by the Leishmania cells and that their presence induces the formation of mitochondrial superoxide. Sapphyrins have been widely investigated as anticancer agents and we here show activity against the Leishmania parasites.     

Inverted meso-aryl porphyrins with heteroatoms; characterization of thia, selena, and oxa N-confused porphyrins.

Synthesis and characterization of inverted porphyrins containing S, Se, and O are reported. A simple 3 + 1 MacDonald-type condensation using modified tripyrrane containing the N-confused ring and diols afforded various N-confused porphyrins 6a-f in 19-30% yield. The single-crystal X-ray structure of 6b shows a ruffled conformation with tilt angles of 21.11 degrees and 31.23 degrees for the N-confused ring and the adjacent pyrrole ring III, respectively, revealing its severe nonplanarity. Significant changes in C alpha-C beta, C beta-C beta, and C alpha-X bond lengths are observed in 6b relative to free thiophene and pyrrole, suggesting the altered delocalization pathway in the modified N-confused porphyrins. The two molecules in the unit cell show a cyclophane-type noncovalent dimer with a face to face orientation of two N-confused pyrrole rings as a result of the presence of weak N-H...N and C-H...N intermolecular hydrogen bonds involving pyrrole-NH, the N atom of the N-confused ring, and the C atom of the pyrrole ring. A detailed 1H and 13C NMR study by 1D and 2D methods allowed assignments of all the peaks in the free base and protonated forms. NMR studies reveal the presence of three different tautomeric forms in solution for 6c in CDCl3 at low temperature. UV-visible studies reveal absorption band shifts upon heteroatom substitution, and the magnitudes of these shifts are dependent on the nature of the heteroatom. In all cases both monoprotonated and diprotonated species have been identified, and on addition of acid, the first proton goes to the outer N2 atom of the N-confused ring.     

Core-modified, meso-alkylidenyl porphyrins and their expanded analogues: a new family of nonplanar porphyrinoids

New core-modified, meso-alkylidenyl porphyrinoids bearing multiple exocyclic double bonds were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis was accomplished using a typical "3 + 1"-type condensation approach. Stable exocyclic tautomers bearing double bonds at the meso positions, as well the corresponding endocyclic tautomers, were isolated in the case of both thiabenziporphyrin and thiapyriporphyrin products prepared in the course of this study. On the other hand, only the exocyclic tautomer was isolated in the case of the congeneric oxapyriporphyrin and oxabenziporphyrin. Expanded analogues of the exocyclic forms of oxabenziporphyrin and thiabenziporphyrin were also isolated as minor products. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the expanded thiabenziporphyrin (20) revealed that all four pyrrole rings displayed an inverted geometry, presumably reflecting the strong hydrogen-bonding extant between the pyrrole N-H proton and the carbonyl group of the malonate moiety in the solid state. On the other hand, the expanded oxabenziporphyrin (14) was found to possess a severely distorted geometry with only one pyrrole ring being inverted. Careful analysis of the structure revealed that the solid-state geometry of the expanded macrocycles correlates well with the internal angle defined by the 2- and 5 substituents and the centers of the furan (14) or thiophene (20) subunits.     

Trans doubly N-confused porphyrins: Cu(III) complexation and formation of rodlike hydrogen-bonding networks

A trans type of doubly N-confused isomer of NCP (trans-N2CP) was synthesized via N-confused fused porphyrin (NcFP). The aromatic feature of trans-N2CP due to 18pi electronic system is contrasted to the weak aromaticity of cis-derivative. The solid-state structure of trans-N2CP exhibits pi-stacking column, while the Cu(III) complex shows 1-D rodlike hydrogen bonding chain comparable with the zigzag hydrogen-bonding chain of cis-derivatives.     

Nonlinear optical properties as a guide to aromaticity in congeneric pentapyrrolic expanded porphyrins: pentaphyrin, sapphyrin, isosmaragdyrin, and orangarin

On the basis of two-photon absorption and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements, as supported by theoretical calculations of quantitative aromaticity, a relationship between the nonlinear optical properties and aromaticity index has been established for a series of four fully conjugated pentapyrrolic expanded porphyrins, namely pentaphyrin (1.1.1.1.1), sapphyrin (1.1.1.1.0), isosmaragdyrin (1.1.1.0.0), and orangarin (1.0.1.0.0), all of which proved amenable to study in dichloromethane.     

Dioxabenzosapphyrin: a new benzodifuran-derived sapphyrin analogue

The synthesis and characterization of a new sapphyrin analogue, dioxabenzosapphyrin, are reported. The benzodifuran moiety upon which this system is based leads to the incorporation of two oxygen atoms within the central macrocyclic core, thus replacing two protonated nitrogen centers found in normal pentaaza sapphyrin derivatives, including those derived from benzodipyrroles. As expected, the loss of these two NH hydrogen bond donor sites greatly reduces the anion affinity for the diprotonated form, even though the overall charge is the same as in the corresponding sapphyrins. Interestingly, dioxabenzosapphyrin, but not the corresponding all-aza systems, is found to bind neutral guests, such as phenol and 4-nitrophenol, albeit weakly. This latter finding highlights a potentially new application for core-modified expanded porphyrin derivatives, namely, as receptors for hydrogen bond donating neutral substrates.     

Single-boron complexes of N-confused and N-fused porphyrins

Boron(III) has been inserted into N-confused porphyrin, (NCPH)H2 (1), and N-fused porphyrin, (NFP)H (2). The reaction of dichlorophenylborane and 1 yields sigma-phenylboron N-confused porphyrin (4). The boron atom is bound by two pyrrolic nitrogen atoms and the sigma-phenyl ligand. The N-confused pyrrole ring is not involved in the direct coordination because the C(21)-H fragment remains intact. A reaction between PhBCl2 and N-fused porphyrin produces sigma-phenylboron N-fused porphyrin (3+). 4 converts quantitatively into 3+ under protonation. In sigma-phenylboron N-fused porphyrin [(NFP)BPh]Cl, the coordinating environment of boron(III) resembles a distorted trigonal pyramid, with the nitrogen atoms occupying equatorial positions and with the phenyl ligand lying at the unique apex. Boron(III) is displaced by 0.547(4) A from the N3 plane. The B-N distances are as follows: B-N(22), 1.559(4) A; B-N(23), 1.552(4) A; B-N(24), 1.568(4) A; B-C(ipsoPh), 1.621(4) A. 3+ can be classified as a boronium cation considering a filled octet and a complete coordination sphere. 3+ is susceptible to alkoxylation at the inner C(9) carbon atom, yielding 5-OR. The addition of acid results in protonation of the alkoxy group and elimination of alcohol, restoring the original 3+. Density functional theory has been applied to model the molecular and electronic structure of 4, 3+, and syn and anti isomers of methoxy adducts 5-OMe.     

Synthesis and reactivity of 5,10,15-triaryl doubly N-confused bilanes

A series of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl) doubly N-confused bilanes were synthesized in a stepwise manner with the aid of sterically demanding N-protecting groups, in which the difference in reactivity between regular pyrrole and N-confused pyrrole plays a crucial role in the synthetic strategy. Some doubly N-confused bilanes were converted into porphyrinoids or a unique 2:2 copper(II) complex with a helical structure. In addition, the conformations and electronic states of the doubly N-confused bilanes were investigated theoretically, giving fruitful information about the effect of confusion on the bilane skeleton.     

Synthesis and reactivity of N-methyl and N-phenyl meso-unsubstituted N-confused porphyrins

Condensations of 1-methyl and 1-phenyl-2,4-pyrroledicarbaldehydes with a tripyrrane in TFA-dichloromethane, followed by oxidation with aqueous FeCl(3), gave novel cross-conjugated meso-unsubstituted N-confused porphyrins (NCPs; 12). These porphyrin analogues showed significant diatropic ring currents that were enhanced upon protonation. Reactions with nickel(II) acetate in refluxing DMF, or palladium(II) acetate in acetonitrile, gave good yields of the corresponding nickel(II) or palladium(II) organometallic derivatives 18 and 19. These complexes were stable and the proton NMR spectra showed slightly increased downfield shifts to the external protons. Addition of TFA resulted in C-protonation at the internal carbon to give aromatic cations that showed the inner CH resonance between -2.5 and -4.0 ppm. The nickel(II) cations 20a and 20b slowly underwent demetalation but the related palladium cations 20c and 20d were quite robust and showed no loss of palladium after 1 week at room temperature. Reaction of NCPs 12 with silver(I) acetate gave silver(III) derivatives 21a and 21b where an oxidation had occurred at C-3 to afford a lactam unit. The silver complexes showed strong diatropic ring currents and porphyrin-like UV-vis spectra with a Soret band near 430 nm. N-Methyl NCP 21a also reacted with gold(III) acetate to give the gold(III) NCP 21c, albeit in low yield, and this species showed similar spectroscopic properties to silver(III) NCP 21a. Syntheses of N-phenyl NCP 12b were accompanied by the formation of the 3-oxo derivative 15b, and the related N-methyl product 16a could also be obtained when the reaction mixtures were oxidized with silver(I) acetate under acidic conditions. The proton NMR spectra for these aromatic NCPs in CDCl(3) show the internal CH shifted upfield to near -6.5 ppm, while the external meso-protons are strongly deshielded giving 4 singlets between 9 and 10 ppm. This study demonstrates that meso-unsubstituted NCPs have unusual reactivity and unique spectroscopic properties, and these results complement and extend the work on the much better known meso-tetraaryl NCPs.     

15N solid-NMR and X-ray diffraction studies of N-confused porphyrins

Using (15)N high-resolution solid-state NMR and X-ray diffraction, the structure of N-confused porphyrin (NCP) in the solid state was studied. A 1D (15)N magic angle spinning (MAS) experiment and a 2D dipolar assisted rotational resonance (DARR) (15)N-(15)N spin exchange experiment of N-confused tetratolylporphyrin (Tol) crystallized from CH(2)Cl(2)/hexane indicate that Tol is the inner 3H-type tautomer and has two magnetically different molecules in the unit cell. Further, a FSLG-2 & 4macr; 2 (1)H-(15)N dipolar recoupling NMR measurement indicates no fast ring flipping motion which is consistent with the planar structure in the X-ray analysis. The planarity of Tol is ascribed to crystal packing enforced by pi-pi stacking and CH-pi interactions.     

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.     

Diels-Alder reactions of nickel(II) N-confused porphyrins as dienophiles

Diels-Alder reactions of nickel(II) N-confused tetraarylporphyrins as dienophiles with o-benzoquinodimethane yield nickel(II) N-confused isoquinoporphyrins.     

Doubly N-confused hexaphyrin: a novel aromatic expanded porphyrin that complexes bis-metals in the core

Meso-hexakis(pentafluorophenyl)-substituted doubly N-confused hexaphyrins and their metal complexes were synthesized for the first time, and the structures were elucidated by X-ray single-crystal analyses. The free base form of oxidized hexaphyrin (5) had two preorganized N3O pockets in the macrocyclic core, where a hydrogen-bonding network was formed to keep the molecule planar (the mean plane deviation is 0.054 A). The formation of a planar bis-Cu(II) complex was confirmed by UV/vis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and X-ray crystallography. The bis-Ni(II) complex (7), on the other hand, was distored from planarity, but it changed to the planar structure upon solvent (acetonitrile) coordination as judged by the observation of a sharp Soret-like band in absorption spectra and the X-ray structures of the complexes.     

Electrophilic fluoroalkylation of Ni(II) N-confused porphyrins with fluoroalkylarylsulfonium salts

Experimental studies showed that Ni(II) N-confused porphyrins, treated with fluoroalkylarylsulfonium salts, can undergo an electrophilic fluoroalkylation at the inner 21-C position, leading to 21-fluoroalkylated Ni(II) N-confused porphyrins.