Narrow Results

Iridium metalation of [26]hexaphyrin 1 and [36]octaphyrin 2 gave Ir(III) complex of [26]hexaphyrin 3 and Ir(I) complex of [36]octaphyrin 4, respectively. The complex 3 is an aromatic molecule displaying considerably electron-rich nature while the complex 4 shows weak antiaromatic nature with a small HOMO–LUMO gap of 0.82 eV.

meso–meso Directly-linked trimeric and pentameric porphyrin–hexaphyrin hybrid arrays 5 and 6 comprising of electron-deficient porphyrin units were prepared by cross-condensation of monomeric and dimeric electron-deficient meso-formyl porphyrins with a tripyrrane. The solid-state structures of 5 and 6 have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The latter is the largest crystal structure of meso–meso linked multiporphyrinic array analogues reported to date.

Triphenylphosphine was added regioselectively at the C(3) position of bis-Au(III) complex of [26]hexaphyrin 5 in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid to produce [28]hexaphyrin triphenylphosphine adduct 6 in 62% yield, which has been fully characterized by NMR, UV-vis/NIR absorption, and MS spectroscopies, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The rigid planar structure forces 6 to take Hückel antiaromaticity, which has been supported by its ¹H NMR spectrum. Curiously, the detailed structural analysis elucidated that the triphenylphosphine moiety exists as a phosphorane form in the solid state. A plausible mechanism via a double protonated 5 is proposed, which can explain the observed regioselectivity.