Inducing ring distortions in unsubstituted metallophthalocyanines using axial N-heterocyclic carbenes

A series of metallophthalocyanine (PcM) complexes with axial N-heterocyclic carbene ligands (NHC; 1,3-diisopropylimidazol-2-ylidene (DIP) and 1,3-dimethylbenzimidazol-2-ylidene (DMB)) were prepared and structurally characterized. PcCoII(DIP), PcZnII(DIP), and PcZnII(DMB) are five-coordinate complexes with mild dome-type Pc-ring distortions, while PcFeII(DIP)2 is six-coordinate and has a very large ruffle-type ring-distortion with respect to typical PcM(L)2 systems. The distortion is induced by the highly steric axial DIP ligands. The distortions were quantified and classified by their bond lengths and torsion angles, and according to the normal-coordinate structural decomposition (NSD) analysis. Upon ligation of the NHC, the insoluble PcM materials were solublized in common organic solvents, with typical UV-visible Q-band maxima observable between 658 and 677 nm; the increased solubility is rationalized in terms of the reduced solid-state aggregation of the complexes, attributable to the axial ligation.

Recent Synthetic Advances on the Use of Diazo Compounds Catalyzed by Metalloporphyrins

Diazo compounds are organic substances that are often used as precursors in organic synthesis like cyclization reactions, olefinations, cyclopropanations, cyclopropenations, rearrangements, and carbene or metallocarbene insertions into C-H, N-H, O-H, S-H, and Si-H bonds. Typically, reactions from diazo compounds are catalyzed by transition metals with various ligands that modulate the capacity and selectivity of the catalyst. These ligands can modify and enhance chemoselectivity in the substrate, regioselectivity and enantioselectivity by reflecting these preferences in the products. Porphyrins have been used as catalysts in several important reactions for organic synthesis and also in several medicinal applications. In the chemistry of diazo compounds, porphyrins are very efficient as catalysts when complexed with low-cost metals (e.g., Fe and Co) and, therefore, in recent years, this has been the subject of significant research. This review will summarize the advances in the studies involving the field of diazo compounds catalyzed by metalloporphyrins (M-Porph, M = Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir) in the last five years to provide a clear overview and possible opportunities for future applications. Also, at the end of this review, the properties of artificial metalloenzymes and hemoproteins as biocatalysts for a broad range of applications, namely those concerning carbene-transfer reactions, will be considered.

Porphyrins and Metalloporphyrins Combined with N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Gold(I) Complexes for Photodynamic Therapy Application: What Is the Weight of the Heavy Atom Effect?

The photophysical properties of two classes of porphyrins and metalloporphyrins linked to N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) Au(I) complexes have been investigated by means of density functional theory and its time-dependent extension for their potential application in photodynamic therapy. For this purpose, the absorption spectra, the singlet–triplet energy gaps, and the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) constants have been determined. The obtained results show that all the studied compounds possess the appropriate properties to generate cytotoxic singlet molecular oxygen, and consequently, they can be employed as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy. Nevertheless, on the basis of the computed SOCs and the analysis of the metal contribution to the involved molecular orbitals, a different influence in terms of the heavy atom effect in promoting the intersystem crossing process has been found as a function of the identity of the metal center and its position in the center of the porphyrin core or linked to the peripheral NHC.

Creation from Confusion and Fusion in the Porphyrin World─The Last Three Decades of N-Confused Porphyrinoid Chemistry

Confusion is a novel concept of isomerism in porphyrin chemistry, delivering a steady stream of new chemistry since the discovery of N-confused porphyrin, a porphyrin mutant, in 1994. These days, the number of confused porphyrinoids is increasing, and confusion and associated fusion are found in various fields such as supramolecular chemistry, materials chemistry, biological chemistry, and catalysts. In this review, the birth and growth of confused porphyrinoids in the last three decades are described.

Perspectives on Ligand Properties of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Iron Porphyrin Complexes

There has been considerable research interest in the ligand nature of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). In this work, two six-coordinate NHC iron porphyrin complexes [Fe^II(TTP)(1,3-Me₂Imd)₂] (TTP = tetratolylporphyrin, 1,3-Me₂Imd = 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene) and [Fe^III(TDCPP)(1,3-Me₂Imd)₂]ClO₄ (TDCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin) are reported. Single-crystal X-ray characterizations demonstrate that both complexes have strongly ruffled conformations and relatively perpendicular ligand orientations which are forced by the sterically bulky 1,3-Me₂Imd NHC ligands. Multitemperature (4.2-300 K) and high magnetic field (0-9 T) Mössbauer and low-temperature (4.0 K) EPR spectroscopies definitely confirmed the low-spin states of [Fe^II(TTP)(1,3-Me₂Imd)₂] (S = 0) and [Fe^III(TDCPP)(1,3-Me₂Imd)₂]ClO₄ (S = 1/2). The similarity of 1,3-Me₂Imd and imidazole, as well as the well-established correlations between the ligand nature and spectroscopic characteristics of [Fe^II,III(Porph)(L)₂]^0,+ (Porph: porphyrin; L: planar base ligand) species, allowed direct comparisons between the pair of ligands which revealed for the first time that NHC has a stronger π-acceptor ability than imidazoles, in addition to its very strong σ-donation.