Porphyrins, alkylated

The first ruthenium porphyrin alkyls to be reported were prepared from the zerovalent dianion, [Ru(Por)] with iodomethane or iodocthane, giving the ruthe-nium(lV) dialkyl complexes Ru(Por)Me2 or Ru(Por)Et2 (Por = OEP, TTP). Alternatively, the Ru(lV) precursors Ru(Por)X2 react with MeLi or ArLi to produce Ru(Por)Mc2 or Ru(Por)Ar2 (Ar = / -C(,H4X where X = H, Me, OMe, F or Cl) 147-149 The osmium analogues can be prepared by both methods, and Os(Por)R2 where R = Me, Ph and CH2SiMe2 have been reported.Some representative structures are shown in Fig. 5, and the preparation and interconversion of ruthenium porphyrin alkyl and aryl complexes are shown in Scheme 10. 

It should be emphasized that virmaUy all of the above discussion is based on biomimetic chemistry, where the Fe(II) source varies from salts such FeS04 to the more reactive FeCla-THaO as well as heme mimetics (TPP) and ester hematin variants. When heme models are used, since porphyrin alkylation is a favoured process, end-product distributions of products can be very different from when a free ferrous ion source is employed. Furthermore, solvent has been shown to have a profound effect on the rate of reaction and product distributions obtained in iron-mediated endoperoxide degradation. Thus all of these studies are truly only approximate models of the actual events within the malaria parasites. Future work is needed to correlate the results of biomimetic chemistry with the actual situation within the parasite. In general, most workers do accept the role of carbon-centred radicals in mediating the antimalarial activity of the endoperoxides, but the key information defining (a) the chemical mechanism by which these species alkylate proteins and (b) the basis for the high parasite selectivity remains to be unequivocally established. 

Figure i.i. Nomenclature of porphyrin system, Chlorin is the basic skeleton of natural chlorophylls. Notice the 7,8-dihydro group and pentacyclic ring V, Chlorin does not contain ring V, Porphin is the basic skeleton of porphyrins (alkyl porphins), Etioporphins contain methyl and ethyl groups in the Q-positions, etioporphyrin I is M, E, M, E,... 

For these last oxnpounds we have shown previously stereochimical effect due to an antiperiplanar preference of foe p-brcmioradical produced after the first reaction step, foe stability of ch in the partial double bond C-C-Br increases for the a-a isomer vis-i-vis foe e-e is(Hner of about 0.20 eV. Thus the last one is more difficult to reduce. For the two series of catalysts this antiperiplanar preference is maintained but is slightly larger by a factor 10 instead of 10 for foe iron and cobalt porphyrins. Alkyl substitution at fimcticMial carbon does not se however to have a large effect. 

Porphyrins and chlorophylls are the most widespread natural pigments. They are associated with the energy-converting processes of respiration and photosynthesis in living organisms, and the synthesis of specific porphyrin derivatives is often motivated by the desire to perform similar processes in the test tube. The structurally and biosynthetically related corrins (e.g. vitamin B,j) catalyze alkylations and rearrangements of carbon skeletons via organocobalt intermediates. The biosyntheses of these chromophores are also of topical interest. 

With the catalysis of strong Lewis acids, such as tin(IV) chloride, dipyrromethenes may aiso be alkylated. A very successful porphyrin synthesis involves 5-bromo-S -bromomethyl and 5 -unsubstituted 5-methyl-dipyrromethenes. In the first alkylation step a tetrapyrrolic intermediate is formed which cyclizes to produce the porphyrin in DMSO in the presence of pyridine. This reaction sequence is useful for the synthesis of completely unsymmetrical porphyrins (K.M. Smith, 1975). 

The porphyrin ligand can support oxidation states of iron other than II and III. [Fe(I)Por] complexes are obtained by electrochemical or chemical reduction of iron(II) or iron(III) porphyrins. The anionic complexes react with alkyl hahdes to afford alkyl—iron (III) porphyrin complexes. Iron(IV) porphyrins are formally present in the carbene, RR C—Fe(IV)Por p.-carbido, PorFe(IV)—Fe(IV)Por nitrene, RN—Fe(IV)Por and p.-nittido, PorFe(IV)... 

Classic A/-heterocychc ligands, eg, bipyridyl (bipy), terpyridyl, imidazole, pyrazine, phenanthroline, piperazine (including alkyl- and aryl-substituted derivatives), and polypyrazol-l-yl-borates (bis, tris, and tetra), have all been found to coordinate Th(IV) chlorides, perchlorates, and nitrates. The tripodal hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borates, HBPz, have been used to stabilize organometaHic complexes (31). Bis-porphyrin Th(IV) "sandwich" complexes have been... 

Another interesting example for the formation of a porphyrin from a macrotetracycle is the conversion of nickel octadehydrocorrins into nickel porphyrins 15. Protonation or alkylation of 1-methyloctadehydrocorrins 11, followed by ring opening to a bilene system 12, recyclization... 

The synthesis of homoporphyrins in which one methine bridge of the parent porphyrin is extended to a two-carbon bridge is one of the earliest and simplest examples of an expanded porphyrin.3a b>4 The synthesis of homoporphyrin 4 is based on the ability of N-alkylated porphyrin 1 to undergo nickel-induced rearrangement to form an expanded macrocycle 2. De-metalation of 2 by means of concentrated hydrochloric acid yields the cyclically conjugated [20]porphyrin(2.1.1.1) 4 and a macrocyclic side product 3 in which the cyclic conjugation is interrupted. 

Scheme 10.6 Byproducts of cytochrome P450 oxygenase catalyzed epoxidation. Top N-alkylation of the porphyrin ring. Bottom group migration to give aldehydes. 

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