Synthesis of 3,20-disubstituted chlorophyll-a derivatives and reactivity of the substituents

Methyl 20-bromo-pyropheophorbide-a possessing a vinyl group at the 3-position and its analogs having 3-ethyl, 3-(1-hydroxyethyl) and 3-acetyl groups were prepared by modifying naturally occurring chlorophyll(Chl)-a. The 20-bromo-chlorins were cross-coupled with vinyl- and 1-ethoxyvinyl-tributyltins in the presence of a Pd(0) catalyst to afford 20-vinyl- and acetyl-chlorins, respectively. The interconversions among the above four C2-functional groups at the 3-position were readily performed in the semi-synthetic Chl derivatives, but no modification of the 20-vinyl and acetyl groups was observed. The difference of the chemical reactivity is ascribable to the steric factor: the 3¹-position was less sterically hindered than the 20¹-position. Single hydrogenation and hydration of 3,20-divinyl-chlorin and reduction of 3,20-diacetylchlorin proceeded exclusively at the 3-position. The redmost (Qy) bands in electronic absorption spectra of the semi-synthetic Chl derivatives in a diluted dichloromethane solution were controlled by the 3,20-substituents. The 3-substituent effect on their Qy maxima was determined by the electronic factor (their electronegativity), while the 20-substituent effect was primarily dependent on the steric factor (their local size).