Synthesis of 3/8-carbonylated chlorophyll derivatives and regiodependent reductivity of their carbonyl substituents

Methyl pyropheophorbide-d possessing a formyl group at the 3-position and its regioisomer having 8-CHO were prepared and their reactivities with a reductant were determined by the ¹H NMR technique: 3-CHO>8-CHO. The regioselective reduction of a synthetic 3,8-diformyl-chlorin also supported the higher reactivity in 3-CHO than in 8-CHO. Regiodependent reduction of the corresponding acetyl-chlorins confirmed that carbonyl groups at the 3-position in chlorophyllous pigments were reduced more rapidly than those at the 8-position. From the reports that reactions of 3-CHO with amines were preferable to those of 7-CHO, the CO functional groups on the pyrrole A-ring of chlorophylls are more reactive than those on the B-ring.