Influence of chloroform on crystalline products yielded in reactions of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin with HCl and copper(II) salts.

Chloroform was found to occupy the lattice of the protonated porphyrin and to promote crystallization of a different polymorphic form of a metalloporphyrin. The structure of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin-21,23-diium dichloride chloroform octasolvate, C(44)H(32)N(4)(2+)·2Cl(-)·8CHCl(3), (I), in the solid state is described and compared with related solvates. The porphyrin macrocycle displays a distorted saddle shape, with chloride anions above and below the ring. Seven chloroform molecules are bound via C-H···Cl hydrogen bonds, while the link with the eighth solvent molecule is weaker. A new monoclinic polymorph of (5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato)copper(II), [Cu(C(44)H(28)N(4))], (II), crystallized from chloroform, is also presented.