Synthesis of isomeric angularly annealed dinaphthoporphyrin systems: examination of the relative positioning and orientation of ring fusion as factors influencing the porphyrin chromophore

Porphyrins built up from two naphtho1,2-c]pyrrole subunits and two beta-substituted pyrroles can produce five isomeric dinaphthoporphyrin systems. To gain insights into the effects of ring fusion on extended porphyrin chromophores, all five of these systems were synthesized in isomerically pure form. In four of these syntheses, dihydronaphthopyrroles were used to introduce one or both of the naphthalene subunits, and dehydrogenation with DDQ in refluxing toluene later produced the fully conjugated systems. Naphthopyrroles were also prepared by reacting isocyanoacetate esters with 1-nitronaphthalene in the presence of a phosphazene base. These compounds proved to be less stable than their dihydronaphthopyrrolic counterparts but could still be utilized in these synthetic studies. Three isomeric adj-dinaphthoporphyrin systems were prepared using the MacDonald "2 + 2" condensation or by the cyclization of a,c-biladiene intermediates with copper(II) chloride or AgIO(3)-Zn(OAc)(2). A dinaphthoporphyrin with two naphthalene units pointing toward one another could only be obtained in low yields due to a combination of stability and steric factors, but the other two adj-difused systems were isolated in good overall yields. However, the final dehydrogenation step occurred in moderate yields (50-60%) and could only be performed when the porphyrins bore propionate ester side chains that produced sufficient solubility in organic solvents. The two related opp-dinaphthoporphyrins were synthesized by a "head-to-tail" self-condensation of a dipyrrylmethane aldehyde, or a "3 + 1" synthesis using a tripyrrane intermediate bearing two fused dihydronaphthalene moieties, in excellent yields. In both cases, a final dehydrogenation step was required, but the opp-dinaphthoporphyrins were consistently formed in virtually quantitative yields. The opp-dinaphthoporphyrin series gave UV-vis spectra with relatively strong Soret bands at 425 nm, and the visible region was dominated by an unusually strong Q-band III. The adj-dinaphthoporphyrins produced broader less intense Soret bands and four well-defined Q-bands, including a relatively strong absorption at 645 nm. However, the relative orientation of the naphthalene rings had no significant effects on these spectra. On the other hand, the dications produced in TFA-chloroform solutions showed more discrimination between the individual porphyrin systems, and the metallo derivatives also displayed significant variations in their electronic absorption spectra.