Metalloporphyrins reduction

The high stability of porphyrins and metalloporphyrins is based on their aromaticity, so that porphyrins are not only most widespread in biological systems but also are found as geoporphyrins in sediments and have even been detected in interstellar space. The stability of the porphyrin ring system can be demonstrated by treatment with strong acids, which leave the macrocycle untouched. The instability of porphyrins occurs in reduction and oxidation reactions especially in the presence of light. The most common chemical reactivity of the porphyrin nucleus is electrophilic substitution which is typical for aromatic compounds. 

Isobacteriochlorins, since they are tetrahydroporphyrins, can be obtained by tetrahydrogena-tion of porphyrins and dihydrogenation of chlorins. However, alkali-metal reduction of porphyrins and metalloporphyrins always gives a mixture of chlorins, bacteriochlorins or isobacteriochlorins.14 The method of choice for the preparation of pure isobacteriochlorins, e.g. 2, is the diimide reduction of zinc(II) chlorins, e.g. l.15a,b... 

It was shown that dibenzothiophene oxide 17 is inert to 1-benzyl-l,4-dihydro nicotinamide (BNAH) but that, in the presence of catalytic amounts of metalloporphyrin, 17 is reduced quantitatively by BNAH. From experimental results with different catalysts [meso-tetraphenylporphinato iron(III) chloride (TPPFeCl) being the best] and a series of substituted sulfoxides, Oae and coworkers80 suggest an initial SET from BNAH to Fe1 followed by a second SET from the catalyst to the sulfoxide. The results are also consistent with an initial coordination of the substrate to Fem, thus weakening the sulfur-oxygen bond in a way reminiscent of the reduction of sulfoxides with sodium borohydride in the presence of catalytic amounts of cobalt chloride81. 

Akiba investigated the electrochemical behavior of a variety of phosphorus octaethylporphyrin derivatives all compounds showing a single reversible oxidation wave [91]. The absolute difference in potential between the first ring-centered oxidation and reduction varies from 2.19 to 2.36 V in dichloromethane. These values are within the range of the HOMO-LUMO gap observed for most metalloporphyrins. 

In addition to their proven capacity to catalyze a highly efficient and rapid reduction of O2 under ambient conditions (e.g., cytochrome c oxidase, the enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of >90% of O2 consumed by a mammal, captures >80% of the free energy of ORR at a turnover frequency of >50 O2 molecules per second per site), metalloporphyrins are attractive candidates for Pt-free cathodes. Probably the major impetus for a search for Pt-free cathodic catalysts for low temperature fuel cells is... 

METALLOPORPHYRIN CATALYSTS OF OXYGEN REDUCTION COoH COgH... 

The simple porphyrin category includes macrocycles that are accessible synthetically in one or few steps and are often available commercially. In such metallopor-phyrins, one or both axial coordinahon sites of the metal are occupied by ligands whose identity is often unknown and cannot be controlled, which complicates mechanistic interpretation of the electrocatalytic results. Metal complexes of simple porphyrins and porphyrinoids (phthalocyanines, corroles, etc.) have been studied extensively as electrocatalysts for the ORR since the inihal report by Jasinsky on catalysis of O2 reduction in 25% KOH by Co phthalocyanine [Jasinsky, 1964]. Complexes of all hrst-row transition metals and many from the second and third rows have been examined for ORR catalysis. Of aU simple metalloporphyrins, Ir(OEP) (OEP = octaethylporphyrin Fig. 18.9) appears to be the best catalyst, but it has been little studied and its catalytic behavior appears to be quite distinct from that other metaUoporphyrins [CoUman et al., 1994]. Among the first-row transition metals, Fe and Co porphyrins appear to be most active, followed by Mn [Deronzier and Moutet, 2003] and Cr. Because of the importance of hemes in aerobic metabolism, the mechanism of ORR catalysis by Fe porphyrins is probably understood best among all metalloporphyrin catalysts. 

These metalloporphyrins adsorbed on a graphite electrode and exposed to a solution of [Ru(NH3) ((H20)6 J (x= 3-5) catalyze reduction of 02to a mixture of H2O and H2O2 under acidic conditions. 

Litde is known about the stability of these porphyrins in O2 reduction, how this peripheral substitution affects O2 affinity of the metalloporphyrin, how the peripheral metal complexes perturb the energetics of various intermediates, and/or the kinetics of various steps or the mechanisms of O2 reduction by these porphyrins. At present, it remains to be seen if the strategy of coordinating metal complexes on the periphery of a metalloporphyrin can be exploited in the rational design of new ORR catalysts. 

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