Dinaphthoporphycenes: synthesis and nonlinear optical studies

Naphthobipyrrole-derived porphycenes are synthesized for the first time via McMurry coupling of the β-alkylated 2,9-diformylnaphthobipyrrole derivatives, which in turn were prepared easily from 2,3-naphthalene bishydrazine in four steps. Insertion of nickel into the porphycene core results in transformation of the rectangular N4-core into a square type geometry owing to the fusion of naphthalene moiety onto the bipyrrole entities. These porphycenes show large, intensity dependent three-photon absorption.