Synthesis of 7,8‐Dehydropurpurin Dimers and Their Conversion into Conformationally Constrained β‐to‐β Vinylene‐Bridged Porphyrin Dimers

7,8‐Dehydropurpurin has attracted much attention owing to the dual 18π‐ and 20π‐electron circuits in its macrocyclic conjugation. The two‐fold Pd‐catalyzed 3+2] annulation of meso‐bromoporphyrin with 1,4‐diphenylbutadiyne furnished 7,8‐dehydropurpurin dimers. The 8^a,8^a‐linked dimer displays a red‐shifted and enhanced absorption band in the NIR region and a small electrochemical HOMO–LUMO band gap as a consequence of efficient conjugation between the two coplanar 7,8‐dehydropurpurin units. Treatment of this dimer with N‐bromosuccinimide in chloroform and ethanol gave β‐to‐β vinylene‐bridged porphyrin dimers. Owing to the highly constrained conformations, these dimers exhibit perturbed absorption spectra, small Stokes shifts, and high fluorescence quantum yields.