Synthesis of an F-BODIPY [2]catenane using the chemistry of bis(dipyrrinato)metal complexes.

ML2 type complexes of an olefin terminated 5H-dipyrrin ligand can be subjected to twofold ring closing metathesis to give bis(dipyrrinato)copper(ii) and bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(ii) [2]catenates. Demetalation of the copper(ii) [2]catenate with KCN/N2H4·H2O gave the corresponding bis(dipyrrin) [2]catenand. The boron difluoride complex of this bis(dipyrrin) was obtained as the first fluorescent F-BODIPY [2]catenane.