Ring formation porphyrins

Porphyrin synthesis and functionalization based on the chemistry of Mannich bases, briefly mentioned in previous chapters, are recalled here. As far as porphyrin synthesis is concerned, studies of biomimetic models of photochemically active reaction centers are worth noting. The synthetic procedure involves amino group replacement of the pyrrole bis-Mannich base with formation of the tetrapyrrole ring of porphyrin (see 360, Chap. 11). 

Dolphin and Morgan have prepared the series of strapped porphyrins illustrated in Fig. 10 and Scheme 61. As a consequence of postponing porphyrin ring formation (a... 

C-biosynthetic incorporation work established that acetate, glycine, proline, and methionine were prime precursors of prodigiosin. However, the structural complexity, sensitivity, and lability of this molecule made the isolation of fragments difficult. Studies on the mechanism of this biosynthesis were thus ideally suited to and amenable to the method. The mechanism of the pyrrole ring formation in prodigiosin biosynthesis is also unrelated to porphyrin biosynthesis and is thus of special interest. 

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... 

After reduction of the nitro function of the porphyrin, the porphyrinamine intermediate can be reacted with z./l-unsaturated carbonyl compounds to yield porphyrins with a fused pyridine ring, which is formed by Michael addition, imine formation and dehydrogenation. 

The transformation of the porphyrin intermediate 4 into a chlorin can be achieved after introduction of a C — C double bond into the 15-propanoate side chain of 4 to yield 5. The cyclization of 5 with participation of the 15-acrylic ester side chain under acidic conditions gives the chlorin 6 which is then transformed in a multistep reaction sequence into chlorophyll a. The driving force of chlorin formation from the porphyrin is believed to be the relief of steric strain at the sterically overcrowded porphyrin periphery which gives the desired trans arrangement of the propanoate side chain and the methyl group in the reduced ring. The total... 

The ligand group can be introduced either on the meso or on the /5-pyrrole position of the porphyrin ring, but the synthesis of the meso-functionalized derivatives is easier and has been more widely exploited. Balch (50-53) reported that the insertion of trivalent ions such as Fe(III) (32) and Mn(III) (33) into octaethyl porphyrins functionalized at one meso position with a hydroxy group (oxophlorins) leads to the formation of a dimeric head-to-tail complex in solution (Fig. 11a) (50,51). An X-ray crystal structure was obtained for the analogous In(III) complex (34), and this confirmed the head-to-tail geometry that the authors inferred for the other dimers in solution (53) (Fig. lib). The dimers are stable in chloroform but open on addition of protic acids or pyridine (52). The Fe(III) octaethyloxophlorin dimer (52) is easily oxidized by silver salts. The one-electron oxidation is more favorable than for the corresponding monomer or p-oxo dimer, presumably because of the close interaction of the 7r-systems in the self-assembled dimer. 

Square-planar zinc compounds predominate with these ligand types as would be predicted. This is in contrast to the prevalence of tetrahedral or distorted tetrahedral geometries for four-coordinate species that have been discussed thus far. Zinc porphyrin complexes are frequently used as building blocks in the formation of supramolecular structures. Zinc porphyrins can also act as electron donors and antenna in the formation of photoexcited states. Although the coordination of zinc to the porphyrin shows little variation, the properties of the zinc-coordinated compounds are extremely important and form the most extensively structurally characterized multidentate ligand class in the CSD. The examples presented here reflect only a fraction of these compounds but have been selected as recent and representative examples. Expanded ring porphyrins have also... 

Figure 7.1 The overall pathway of haem biosynthesis. 5-AminolaevuIinate (ALA) is synthesized in the mitochondrion, and is transferred to the cytosol where it is converted to porphobilinogen, four molecules of which condense to form a porphyrin ring. The next three steps involve oxidation of the pyrrole ring substituents to give protoporphyrinogen fX, whose formation is accompanied by its transport back into the mitochondrion. After oxidation to protoporphyrin IX, ferrochelatase inserts Fe2+ to yield haem. A, P, M and V represent, respectively acetyl, propionyl, methyl and vinyl (—CH2=CH2) groups. From Voet and Voet, 1995. Reproduced by permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc.

The electrogeneration of [(TPP)Co] from (TPP)Co, and the reaction of this species with CHjI can be followed by cyclic voltammetry as shown in Figures lc and Id. In the absence of any added reagent, there are two reversible reduction waves which occur at Ei/2 = 0.85 jind -1.86 V (see Figure lc). These are due to the formation of [(TPP)CoJ and [(TPP)Co]2-, where the second reduction has occurred at the porphyrin ir ring system. The first reduction of (TPP)Co is not reversible in the presence of CH3I, and occurs at Ep = -0.86 V (see Figure Id). A new reversible reduction also appears at Ej/2 = -1.39 V. This process is due to (TPP)Co(CHj) which is formed as shown by Equation 8. The formation of (TPP)Co(CHj) as the final product of the electrosynthesis was confirmed by spectroelectrochemical experiments which were carried out under the same experimental conditions(26). 

Electrochemistry. The redox processes for porphyrazines 21, 25, 28, 29, the heteroleptic Zr (pz/porphyrin) 30 and 31 have been measured by cyclic voltammetry and the formal potentials are given in Table VII. The potentials are compared to the available data for the analogous porphyrin and pc complexes. In general, the electrochemical behavior of the pz sandwiches more closely mirror that observed for the phthalocyanines than the porphyrins. In particular, all of the porphyrazines have at least one ring-based oxidation, attributable to the formation of the bis Jt-radical cation for Lu(III) sandwiches and the formation of the 7T-radical cation for the Zr(IV) and Ce(IV) sandwiches. Additionally, all of the porphyrazines exhibit at least one ring-based reduction. 

Introduction of mesityl groups at the porphyrin ring can prevent the formation of the dimeric products and the reaction with dioxygen now leads to ruthenium(VI)-dioxo complexes of TMP (tetramesitylporphyrin) [35], The tram-Ru(VI)02-TM P species can catalyse the epoxidation of alkenes as well as whole range of other oxidation reactions. After transfer of one oxygen atom to an organic substrate Ru(IV)0-TMP is formed, which disproportionates to an equilibrium of Ru02 and llu ). 

When the -C=C- unit is directly bonded to the zinc porphyrin unit (polymer of type B), the Soret and Q-bands are shifted to a longer wavelength, suggesting the formation of a highly 71-conjugated system along the main chain, due to the lack of steric hindrance around the zinc porphyrin ring. 

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