Iron complexes of C- and N-methylated 2-aza-21-carbaporphyrin: NMR studies

Insertion of iron(II) into methylated derivatives of N-confused porphyrins 2-aza-2-methyl-5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21-carbaporphyrin (MeCTPPH)H, 2-aza-5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21-methyl-21-carbaporphyrin (CTPPMe)H2, and 2-aza-2-methyl-5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21-methyl-21-carbaporphyrin (MeCTPPMe)H yielded N- or C-methylated high-spin iron(II) complexes (MeCTPPH)Fe(II)Br, (HCTPPMe)Fe(II)Br, and (MeCTPPMe)Fe(II)Br. One electron oxidation of (Me-CTPPH)Fe(II)Br using Br2, accompanied by deprotonation of a C(21)-H(21) fragment and formation of an Fe-C(21) bond, produces an intermediate-spin, five-coordinate iron(III) complex (MeCTPP)Fe(III)Br. Simultaneously, a high-spin complex (MeCTPPH)Fe(III)Br]+ was formed which preserved the side-on interaction between the metal ion and the inverted pyrrole ring. &(MeCTPPH)Fe(III)Br]+ was also obtained by titration of (MeCTPP)FeIIIBr with TFA due to the C(21) protonation. A titration of (HCTPPMe)Fe(II)Br and (MeCTPPMe)Fe(II)Br with Br2 yielded solely corresponding high-spin iron(III) species (HCTPPMe)Fe(III)Br+ and (MeCTPPMe)Fe(III)Br+. Dioxygen reacts cleanly with (MeCTPPH)Fe(II)Br carbaporphyrin to form solely (MeCTPP)Fe(III)Br. The 1H NMR spectra of paramagnetic iron(II) and iron(III) complexes were examined. The characteristic patterns of pyrrole, C-methyl, and N-methyl resonances were found diagnostic of the ground electronic state of iron and the coordinating nature of the N-confused pyrrole. The characteristic C-Me resonances occur in a unique window (520-420 ppm) for iron(III) C-methylated N-confused porphyrins which remains in contrast with relatively small values found for iron(II) C-methylated derivatives (50-80 ppm).