Strength of the Zn-N coordination bond in zinc porphyrins on the basis of experimental thermochemistry

The compound, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphine zinc(II) (ZnTMPP), was prepared, and its thermochemical properties were experimentally established. The standard molar energy of combustion (Delta(c)U degrees m) was determined from oxygen rotating-bomb combustion calorimetry experiments. The standard molar enthalpies of combustion (Delta(c)H degrees m) and formation (Delta(f)H degrees m) were derived. The enthalpy of sublimation (Delta(cr)(g)H degrees m) was determined by Knudsen effusion at high temperatures. With these results, the standard molar enthalpies of formation and atomization (Delta(at)H degrees m) in the gas state were calculated. A summary of the results at T = 298.15 K (p degrees = 0.1 MPa) is shown in Table 1. Using these results and those previously obtained for the free ligand, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphine, the mean dissociation enthalpy for the Zn-N coordination bond is obtained as D(Zn-N) = (160 +/- 9) kJ.mol-1. This value is consistent with the results obtained using the same experimental approach in a similar system (5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphine, TPP/ZnTPP) reported elsewhere. A discussion of the strength for the Zn-N coordination bond is made in terms of the structural and electronic features of the molecules involved.