RESUMO
Objective Porphyrin, when conjugated with glucose, will be improved in its water solubility and biocompatibility. Methods In this paper, based on 4- (2, 3, 4, 6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucosyloxy)benzaldehyde and pyrrole, glucose conjugated porphyrins were synthesized in an optimized process, while porphyrin dimer was synthesized by the Ag-promoted coupling reaction of glycoconjugated porphyrin monomer.Results The compounds were characterized by 1H NMR and MS. Results showed that porphyrin conjugated with two glucose units has slight water solubility, while porphyrin conjugated with three or four glucose units has excellent water solubility. Conclusion Glucoconjugation improves water-solubility of porphyrins, which will enlarge its application in biological fields.