Calixsmaragdyrin: A Versatile Ligand for Coordination Complexes.

The Ru(II) and BF2 complexes of calixsmaragdyrin were prepared under simple reaction conditions and characterized by HR-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, and electrochemistry, and the structure of the Ru(II) complex of calixsmaragdyrin was elucidated by X-ray crystallography. The crystal structure of the Ru(II) complex revealed that the Ru(II) ion is hexacoordinate with the three pyrrole nitrogen ligands from the tripyrrin unit of the calixsmaragdyrin macrocycle, and the remaining coordination sites of Ru(II) ion were occupied by two carbonyl groups and one hydroxyl (-OH) group. The calixsmaragdyrin macrocycle in the Ru(II) complex was distorted with a dome-like structure. In the BF2 complex of calixsmaragdyrin, the BF2 unit was bound to two pyrrolic nitrogens of the dipyrrin moiety of calixsmaragdyrin as deduced by detailed 1- and 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopy studies. The Ru(II) complex displayed a strong Soret-like absorption band at 449 nm with the absence of Q-bands, whereas the BF2 complex showed a Soret-like band at 475 nm with two well-defined Q-bands at 787 and 883 nm, respectively. Quantum mechanical DFT calculations yielded relaxed equilibrium structures that were similar to the X-ray crystal structures, and the related charge density distributions indicated that the d orbital of the Ru(II) ion was contributing to the HOMO and LUMO states. In addition, TD-DFT calculations successfully reproduced the large bathochromic shifts, oscillator strengths, and electronic transitions that were observed in the experimental absorption spectra of all three complexes. Both the Ru(II) and the BF2 complexes of calixsmaragdyrin were stable under redox conditions.

Synthesis and Quantum Mechanical Studies of a Highly Stable Ferrocene-Incorporated Expanded Porphyrin.

We present the first evidence for an unusual stable metallocene-containing expanded porphyrinoid macrocycle that was synthesized by condensing one equivalent of 1,1'-bis[phenyl(2-pyrroyl)methyl]ferrocene with one equivalent of 5,10-di(p-tolyl)-16-oxa-15,17-dihydrotripyrrane under acid-catalyzed conditions. The formation of ferrocene-incorporated expanded porphyrin macrocycle was confirmed by HR-MS and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy. The macrocycle was nonaromatic and displayed absorption bands in the region of 420-550 nm. The molecular and electronic structure of the ferrocene-incorporated expanded porphyrin was investigated by DFT methods. The DFT calculations indicated a partially twisted structure of the molecule, and the extent of torsional distortion was larger than previously observed for ruthenocenoporphyrinoids and ferrocenothiaporphyrin. The HOMO and LUMO states that were obtained from the DFT calculations indicated partial charge density on all four pyrrole nitrogen atoms and the furanyl oxygen atom in the HOMO state and partial charge density on the α and ß carbon atoms in the LUMO state. In addition, the ferrocene moiety displayed the presence of partial charge density on the Fe atom and the cp rings in both the HOMO and LUMO states. Moreover, DFT studies of the diprotonated form of macrocycle indicated that the diprotonated form also retained a synclinal conformation and that its torsional strain was slightly higher than its free base form.