Nickel complexes of chlorophyll derivatives

Nickel complexes of certain phorbine and amide derivatives of chlorophyll a were synthesized. Most of the chlorophyll a derivatives studied form nickel complexes when boiled in toluene with an equimolar amount of nickel acetylacetonate in high yield. The yields of the nickel complexes of the chlorophyll derivatives are determined by the stability of the starting ligand under the reaction conditions.