Neo-fused hexaphyrin: a molecular puzzle containing an N-linked pentaphyrin.

The first neo-confused hexaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.0) was synthesized by oxidative ring closure of a hexapyrrane bearing two terminal "confused" pyrroles. The new compound displays a folded conformation with a short interpyrrolic C⋅⋅⋅N distance of 3.102 Å, and thus it readily underwent ring fusion to afford a neo-fused hexaphyrin with an unprecedented 5,5,5,7-tetracyclic ring structure. Furthermore, coordination of Cu(II) triggered a ring opening/contracting reaction to afford a Cu(II) complex of an N-linked pentaphyrin derivative. The roles of reactive N-C bonds in the porphyrinoid macrocycles were demonstrated.

Electrochemistry and catalytic properties for dioxygen reduction using ferrocene-substituted cobalt porphyrins.

Cobalt porphyrins having 0-4 meso-substituted ferrocenyl groups were synthesized and examined as to their electrochemical properties in N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) containing 0.1 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate as a supporting electrolyte. The examined compounds are represented as (Fc)n(CH3Ph)(4-n)PorCo, where Por is a dianion of the substituted porphyrin, Fc and CH3Ph represent ferrocenyl and/or p-CH3C6H4 groups linked at the four meso-positions of the macrocycle, and n varies from 0 to 4. Each porphyrin undergoes two reversible one-electron reductions and two to six one-electron oxidations in DMF, with the exact number depending upon the number of Fc groups on the compound. The first electron addition is metal-centered to generate a Co(I) porphyrin. The second is porphyrin ring-centered and leads to formation of a Co(I) π-anion radical. The first oxidation of each Co(II) porphyrin is metal-centered to generate a Co(III) derivative under the given solution conditions. Each ferrocenyl substituent can also be oxidized by one electron, and this occurs at more positive potentials. Each compound was investigated as a catalyst for the electoreduction of dioxygen when adsorbed on a graphite electrode in 1.0 M HClO4. The number of electrons transferred (n) during the catalytic reduction was 2.0 for the three ferrocenyl substituted compounds, consistent with only H2O2 being produced as a product of the reaction. Most monomeric cobalt porphyrins exhibit n values between 2.6 and 3.1 under the same solution conditions, giving a mixture of H2O and H2O2 as a reduction product, although some monomeric porphyrins can give an n value of 4.0. Our results in the current study indicate that appending ferrocene groups directly to the meso positions of a porphyrin macrocycle will increase the selectivity of the oxygen reduction, resulting in formation of only H2O2 as a reaction product. This selectivity of the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction is explained on the basis of steric hindrance by the ferrocene substituents which prevent dimerization.

Synthesis and electrochemistry of ß-pyrrole nitro-substituted cobalt(II) porphyrins. The effect of the NO2 group on redox potentials, the electron transfer mechanism and catalytic reduction of molecular oxygen in acidic media.

Four cobalt(II) porphyrins, two of which contain a ß-pyrrole nitro substituent, were synthesized and characterized by electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry. The investigated compounds are represented as (TRPP)Co and (NO2TRPP)Co, where TRPP is the dianion of a substituted tetraphenylporphyrin and R is a CH3 or OCH3 substituent on the four phenyl rings of the macrocycle. Two reductions and three oxidations are observed for each compound in CH2Cl2 containing 0.10 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate. The first reduction of the compounds without a nitro substituent is metal-centered and leads to formation of a Co(I) porphyrin which then reacts with the CH2Cl2 solvent to generate a carbon σ-bonded Co(III)-R complex. A further reduction then occurs at more negative potentials to generate an unstable Co(II) σ-bonded compound. In contrast to these reactions, the first reduction of the nitro-substituted porphyrins is macrocycle-centered under the same solution conditions and gives a Co(II) porphyrin π-anion radical product. This reversible electron transfer is then followed at more negative potentials by a second reversible one-electron addition to give a Co(II) dianion. Three reversible one-electron oxidations are also seen for each compound. The first is metal-centered and the next two involve the conjugated π-system of the macrocycle. Each neutral Co(II) porphyrin was also examined as to its catalytic activity for electroreduction of molecular oxygen when coated on an edge-plane pyrolytic graphite electrode in 1.0 M HClO4. The ß-pyrrole nitro-substituted derivatives were shown to be better catalysts than the non-nitro substituted compounds under the utilized experimental conditions.

Cobalt triarylcorroles containing one, two or three nitro groups. Effect of NO2 substitution on electrochemical properties and catalytic activity for reduction of molecular oxygen in acid media.

Cobalt(III) triarylcorroles containing 0-3 nitro groups on the para-position of the three meso-phenyl rings of the macrocycle were synthesized and characterized by electrochemistry, mass spectrometry, (UV-vis) and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The examined compounds are represented as (NO2Ph)(n)Ph(3-n)CorCo(PPh3), where n varies from 0 to 3 and Cor represents the core of the corrole. Each compound can undergo two metal-centered one-electron reductions leading to formation of Co(II) and Co(I) derivatives in CH2Cl2 or pyridine containing 0.1 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate (TBAP). A stepwise two electron reduction of each NO2Ph group of the compound is also observed. The first is reversible and occurs in a single overlapping step at the same potential which involves an overall one-, two- or three-electron transfer process for compounds 2-4, respectively. This indicates the lack of an interaction between these redox active sites on the corroles. The second reduction of the NO2Ph groups is irreversible and located at a potential which overlaps the Co(II)/Co(I) process of the compounds. Thin-layer UV-visible spectroelectrochemical measurements in CH2Cl2, 0.1 M TBAP demonstrate the occurrence of an equilibrium between a Co(III) π-anion radical and a Co(II) derivative with an uncharged macrocycle after the first controlled potential reduction of the nitro-substituted corroles. All four cobalt corroles were also examined as catalysts for the electroreduction of O2 when coated on an edge-plane pyrrolytic graphite electrode in 1.0 M HClO4. This study indicates that the larger the number of nitro-substituents on the cobalt corrole, the better the compound acts as a catalyst.

Deprotonation reactions and electrochemistry of substituted open-chain pentapyrroles and sapphyrins in basic nonaqueous media.

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties of three open-chain pentapyrroles and the corresponding sapphyrins were examined in pyridine containing 0.1 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate and dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) or benzonitrile (PhCN) containing tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH). The investigated compounds are represented as (Ar)4PPyH3 and (Ar)4SH3, where Ar is a F(-) or Cl(-) substituted phenyl group, PPy is a trianion of the open-chain pentapyrrole, and S is a trianion of the sapphyrin. The pentapyrroles, (Ar)4PPyH3, undergo two reversible one-electron reductions in pyridine, while the structurally related sapphyrins exhibit four reductions in this solvent, the first two of which are irreversible due to coupled chemical reactions following the electron transfers. Both series of neutral compounds could be deprotonated in CH2Cl2 or PhCN by addition of TBAOH to solution, and the progress of these reactions was monitored as a function of the base concentration by cyclic voltammetry and UV-vis spectroscopy. The neutral pentapyrroles were spectroscopically shown to undergo a loss of two protons in a single step to generate the [(Ar)4PPyH](2-) dianion while the sapphyrins could only be monodeprotonated, leading to formation of the [(Ar)4SH2](-) monoanion under the same solution conditions. The deprotonation constants were measured for each series of compounds in benzonitrile, and oxidation-reduction mechanisms are examined as a function of the solution 'basicity'.

Molecular oxygen reduction electrocatalyzed by meso-substituted cobalt corroles coated on edge-plane pyrolytic graphite electrodes in acidic media.

Five meso-substituted cobalt(III) corroles were examined as to their catalytic activity for the electoreduction of O(2) when coated on an edge-plane pyrolytic graphite electrode in 1.0 M HClO(4). The investigated compounds are represented as (TpRPCor)Co(PPh(3)), where TpRPCor is the trianion of a para-substituted triphenylcorrole and R = OMe, Me, H, F, or Cl. Three electrochemical techniques, cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry with a rotating disk electrode (RDE), and voltammetry at a rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE), were utilized to evaluate the catalytic activity of the corroles in the reduction of O(2). Cobalt corroles containing electron-withdrawing substituents were shown to be better catalysts than those having electron-donating groups on the three meso-phenyl rings of the triarylcorroles.