Direct Oxidations of meso-Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin: Porphotrilactones and Entry into a Nonbiological Porphyrin Degradation Pathway.

The direct oxidations of meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin using cetyltrimethylammonium permanganate (CTAP), RuCl3/Oxone/base or Ag+/oxalic acid each generate distinctive product mixtures that may contain, inter alia, porpho-mono-, di-, and trilactones. The CTAP and RuCl3/Oxone/base oxidations also generate a unique open chain tripyrrin derived from the degradation of a porpholactone oxazolone moiety. Thus, its formation and structure are distinctly different from all biological or nearly all other nonbiological biliverdin-like linear porphyrinoid degradation products that are derived from ring cleavages between the pyrrolic building blocks.

Metal Complexes of Porphyrinoids Containing Nonpyrrolic Heterocycles.

The replacement of one or more pyrrolic building block(s) of a porphyrin by a nonpyrrolic heterocycle leads to the formation of so-called pyrrole-modified porphyrins (PMPs), porphyrinoids of broad structural variability. The wide range of coordination environments (type, number, charge, and architecture of the donor atoms) that the pyrrole-modified frameworks provide to the central metal ions, the frequent presence of donor atoms at their periphery, and their often observed nonplanarity or conformational flexibility distinguish the complexes of the PMPs clearly from those of the traditional square-planar, dianionic, N4-coordinating (hydro)porphyrins. Their different coordination properties suggest their utilization in areas beyond which regular metalloporphyrins are suitable. Following a general introduction to the synthetic methodologies available to generate pyrrole-modified porphyrins, their general structure, history, coordination chemistry, and optical properties, this Review highlights the chemical, electronic (optical), and structural differences of specific classes of metalloporphyrinoids containing nonpyrrolic heterocycles. The focus is on macrocycles with similar "tetrapyrrolic" architectures as porphyrins, thusly excluding the majority of expanded porphyrins. We highlight the relevance and application of these metal complexes in biological and technical fields as chemosensors, catalysts, photochemotherapeutics, or imaging agents. This Review provides an introduction to the field of metallo-PMPs as well as a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of the art of their synthesis, structures, and properties. It also aims to provide encouragement for the further study of these intriguing and structurally versatile metalloporphyrinoids.

Electronic Structures of an Annulated meso-Tetraphenylchlorin and a Related Chlorin Analogue Incorporating an 8-Membered Ring through MCD Spectroscopy and DFT Calculations.

Herein, we compare the electronic structures of the metal-free and nickel(II) derivatives of an annulated meso-tetraphenyldihydroxychlorin with those of the (metallo)chlorin analogues derived by pyrroline ß,ß'-ring cleavage of the annulated (metallo)chlorins. These (metallo)chlorin analogues incorporate 8-membered heterocycles in place of the pyrroline, carry oxo-functionalities on the former pyrroline ß-carbon atoms, and were previously shown to possess drastically ruffled (twisted) nonplanar conformations. The magnetic circular dichroism spectra of all chromophores investigated feature chlorin-like UV-vis spectra and correspondingly reversed (positive-to-negative in ascending energy) sign sequences in the Q-band region, indicative of ΔHOMO < ΔLUMO relationships. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the HOMOs in all compounds are a1u-type molecular orbitals (in traditional for the porphyrin spectroscopy D4h point group). Time-dependent DFT calculations correlate well with the experimental spectra and indicate that Gouterman's four-orbital model can be applied to these chromophores. This work highlights to which degree synthetic chlorin analogues can deviate from the structural parameters of natural chlorins without losing their electronic chlorin characteristics.

meso-Tetrahexyl-7,8-dihydroxychlorin and Its Conversion to ß-Modified Derivatives.

meso-Tetrahexylporphyrin was converted to its corresponding 7,8-dihydroxychlorin using an osmium tetroxide-mediated dihydroxylation strategy. Its diol moiety was shown to be able to undergo a number of subsequent oxidation reactions to form a chlorin dione and porpholactone, the first meso-alkylporphyrin-based porphyrinoid containing a non-pyrrolic building block. Further, the diol chlorin was shown to be susceptible to dehydration, forming the porphyrin enol that is in equilibrium with its keto-chlorin form. The meso-hexylchlorin dione could be reduced and it underwent mono- and bis-methylation reactions using methyl-Grignard reagents, and trifluoromethylation using the Ruppert-Prakash reagent. The optical and spectroscopic properties of the products are discussed and contrasted to their corresponding meso-aryl derivatives (where known). This contribution establishes meso-tetrahexyl-7,8-dihydroxychlorins as a new and versatile class of chlorins that is susceptible to a broad range of conversions to generate functionalized chlorins and a pyrrole-modified chlorin analogue.

Bobbitt's Salt-Mediated Oxidation of Alkynyl-ols and -diols to the Corresponding Aldehydes and Their Application in Tandem Reactions.

Propargyl alcohol derivatives were readily oxidized using Bobbitt's salt to yield the corresponding propynal products. 2-Butyn-1,4-diol may be selectively oxidized to provide either 4-hydroxy-2-butynal or acetylene dicarboxaldehyde, and the resulting stable dichloromethane solutions containing the chemically sensitive acetylene aldehydes were used directly in subsequent Wittig, Grignard, or Diels-Alder reactions. This method provides safe and efficient access to propynals and allows the preparation of polyfunctional acetylene compounds from readily accessible starting material without the use of protecting groups.

Photophysical Exploration of Two Isomers of Octaethyltrioxopyrrocorphin.

The introduction of three ß-oxosubstituents to octaethylporphyrin by means of an oxidation/rearrangement reaction generates the trioxopyrrocorphin chromophore. Pyrrocorphins (hexahydroporphyrins) are generally nonaromatic, but we recently demonstrated trioxopyrrocorphins to possess considerable aromatic character. This contribution explores the photophysical characteristics of these unusual chromophores. In agreement with density functional theory modeling, the UV-vis and magnetic circular dichroism spectra of the two─out of the four possible─triketone regioisomers investigated conform to the Gouterman model of porphyrinoid optical spectra, in alignment with their aromaticity. Their excited-state dynamics shed further light on the degree to which ß-oxo substitutions tune the photophysical properties of porphyrinoids. Introduction of ß-oxo functionalities increases the rate and yield of intersystem crossing and shortens the triplet state lifetime. Unexpectedly, the singlet oxygen generation yield of both pyrrocorphins remains relatively high, with modes of distortion from planarity likely enhancing triplet energy transfer. This work thus expands our understanding of a rare class of porphyrinoids and further characterizes them as sustaining aromatic porphyrinic π-systems. Our findings suggest triple ß-oxo substitution as a viable route toward the development of novel, high-singlet oxygen yield porphyrinic photosensitizers.

Stepwise Reduction of ß-Trioxopyrrocorphins: Collapse of the Oxo-Induced Macrocycle Aromaticity.

The diatropic ring current that characterizes the unexpectedly aromatic octaethyltrioxopyrrocorphins gets drastically reduced upon chemical reduction of one and particularly two ketone moieties. With increasing reduction, the chromophores containing one pyrrole, one/two pyrrolinone, and one/two pyrrolines become more similar to regular, nonmacrocycle-aromatic pyrrocorphins (hexahydroporphyrins). Single-crystal diffraction analysis shows the reduction products to be idealized planar. With increasing reduction, their UV-vis spectroscopic signatures are those of conjugated but nonaromatic oligopyrroles. Their diatropic ring currents, as assessed by 1H NMR spectroscopy, showed them to possess largely nonaromatic π-systems. Dihydroxylation of select ß,ß'-dioxobacteriochlorin and ß,ß'-dioxoisobacteriochlorins also resulted in the formation of equivalent mixed pyrrole/two pyrrolinone/pyrroline chromophores. Computations were able to reproduce the experimental trends of the diatropic ring currents and filled in the data for the regioisomers that could not be experimentally accessed. The work further highlights the electronic influence of the ß-oxo-substituents and, more specifically, the origin of the aromaticity of the trioxopyrrocorphins. It also presents a series of chemically robust pyrrocorphins, a chromophore class for which many chemically very sensitive members have been reported.

[3 + 2]-Cycloadditions with Porphyrin ß,ß'-Bonds: Theoretical Basis of the Counterintuitive meso-Aryl Group Influence on the Rates of Reaction.

Removal of a ß,ß'-bond from meso-tetraarylporphyrin using [3 + 2]-cycloadditions generates meso-tetraarylhydroporphyrins. Literature evidence indicates that meso-tetraphenylporphyrins react more sluggishly with 1,3-dipoles such as ylides and OsO4 (in the presence of pyridine) than meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin. The trend is counterintuitive for the reaction with OsO4, as this formal oxidation reaction is expected to proceed more readily with more electron-rich substrates. This work presents a density functional theory-based computational study of the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) interactions and reaction profile thermodynamics involved in the reaction of archetypical cycloaddition reactions (a simple ylide, OsO4, OsO4·py, OsO4·(py)2, and ozone) with the ß,ß'-double bonds of variously fluorinated meso-arylporphyrins. The trend observed for the Type I cycloaddition of an ylide is straightforward, as lowering the LUMO of the porphyrin with increasing meso-phenyl-fluorination also lowers the reaction barrier. The corresponding simple FMO analyses of Type III cycloadditions do not correctly model the reaction energetics. This is because increasing fluorination leads to lowering of the porphyrin HOMO-2, thus increasing the reaction barrier. However, coordination of pyridine to OsO4 preorganizes the transition state complex; lowering of the energy barrier by the preorganization exceeds the increase in repulsive orbital interactions, overall accelerating the cycloaddition and rationalizing the counterintuitive experimental findings.

Syntheses and Aromaticity Parameters of Hexahydroxypyrrocorphin, Porphotrilactones, and Their Oxidation State Intermediates.

Triple OsO4-mediated dihydroxylation of meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin formed a non-aromatic hexahydroxypyrrocorphin as a single stereo-isomer. A one-step oxidative conversion of all three diol functionalities to lactone moieties generated three out of the four possible porphotrilactone regioisomers that were spectroscopically and structurally characterized. This conversion recovered most of the porphyrinic macrocycle aromatic ring current, as seen in their 1H NMR spectra and modeled using DFT computations. Stepwise OsO4-mediated dihydroxylations of porpho-mono- and -di-lactones generated intermediate oxidation state compounds between the pyrrole-three pyrroline macrocycle of the pyrrocorphin and the pyrrole-three oxazolone chromophore of the trilactones. The aromaticity of these chromophores was reduced with increasing number of oxazolone to pyrroline replacements, showing the importance for the presence of three lactone moieties for the retention of the macrocycle aromaticity in the tris-ß,ß'-modified macrocycles. This work first describes hexahydoxypyrrocorphins, porphotrislactones, and the oxidation state intermediates between them; furthers the understanding of the roles of ß-lactone moieties in the expression of porphyrinic macrocycle aromaticity; and generally broadens access to chemically stable pyrrocorphins and pyrrocorphin analogues.

Tailoring the Intersystem Crossing and Triplet Dynamics of Free-Base Octaalkyl-ß-oxo-Substituted Porphyrins: Competing Effects of Spin-Vibronic and NH Tautomerism Relaxation Channels.

We demonstrate that ß-oxo-substitution provides effective fine-tuning of both steady-state and transient electronic properties of octaalkyl-ß-mono-oxochlorin and all isomers of the ß,ß'-dioxo-substituted chromophores. The addition of a carbonyl group increases the Qy oscillator strength and red-shifts the absorption spectra. Each oxo-substitution results in a 2-fold increase in the singlet to triplet state intersystem crossing (ISC) rates, resulting in a 4-fold ISC rate increase for the dioxo-substituted chromophores. The effects of oxo-substitution on the ISC rate are thus additive. The progressive increase in the ISC rates correlates directly with the spin-vibronic channels provided by the C═O out-of-plane distortion modes, as evidenced by density functional theory (DFT) modeling. The triplet states, however, were not evenly affected by ß-oxo-substitution, and reduction in the triplet lifetime seems to be influenced instead by the presence of NH tautomers in the dioxoisobacteriochlorins.

Structural and Photophysical Characterization of All Five Constitutional Isomers of the Octaethyl-ß,ß'-dioxo-bacterio- and -isobacteriochlorin Series.

It is well-known that treatment of ß-octaethylporphyrin with H2 O2 /conc. H2 SO4 converts it to a ß-oxochlorin as well as all five constitutional isomers of the corresponding ß,ß'-dioxo-derivatives: two bacteriochlorin-type isomers (ß-oxo groups at opposite pyrrolic building blocks) and three isobacteriochlorin-type isomers (ß-oxo-groups at adjacent pyrrolic building blocks). By virtue of the presence of the strongly electronically coupled ß-oxo auxochromes, none of the chromophores are archetypical chlorins, bacteriochlorins, or isobacteriochlorins. Here the authors present, inter alia, the single crystal X-ray structures of all free-base diketone isomers and a comparative description of their UV-vis absorption spectra in neutral and acidic solutions, and fluorescence emission and singlet oxygen photosensitization properties, Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) spectra, and singlet excited state lifetimes. DFT computations uncover underlying tautomeric equilibria and electronic interactions controlling their electronic properties, adding to the understanding of porphyrinoids carrying ß-oxo functionalities. This comparative study lays the basis for their further study and utilization.

Red Fluorescence of European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) Spines Results from Free-Base Porphyrins of Potential Microbial Origin.

Bioluminescence has been recognized as an important means for inter- and intra-species communication. A growing number of reports of red fluorescence occurring in keratinaceous materials have become available. The fluorophore(s) in these cases were shown to be, or suspected to be, free base porphyrins. The red fluorescence found in the downs of bustards was associated with inter-species signaling in mate selection. First reported in 1925, we confirm that spines of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) when irradiated with UV (365-395 nm) light display red fluorescence localized in the light-colored sections of their proximal ends. Using reflectance fluorescence spectroscopy, we confirmed that the fluorophores responsible for the emission are free-base porphyrins, as suspected in the original report. Base-induced degradation of the spine matrix and subsequent HPLC, UV-vis, and ESI+ mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of a mixture of coproporphyrin III and uroporphyrin III as predominant porphyrins and a minor fraction of protoporphyrin IX. Investigation of the spine microbiome uncovered the abundant presence of bacteria known to secrete and/or interconvert porphyrins and that are not present on the non-fluorescing quills of the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum). Given this circumstantial evidence, we propose the porphyrins could originate from commensal bacteria. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the fluorescence may be incidental and of no biological function for the hedgehog.

Stepwise Reduction of Octaethyl-ß,ß'-dioxochlorin Isomers: Access to Structurally and Electronically Diverse Hydroporphyrins.

Di- and tetrahydroporphyrins (chlorins, bacteriochlorins and isobacteriochlorins, respectively) are key "pigments of life." They have been a major focus of attention in synthetic tetrapyrrole chemistry. A long-known one-pot epoxidation/epoxide ring-opening/pinacol-pinacolone rearrangement of octaethylporphyrin (OEP) generates a ß-ketochlorin and all five ß,ß'-diketone isomers. We present herein the single and double reductions of all isomers of the ß,ß'-diketones, generating hydroxychlorin and ß-hydroxy-ß-ketodihydroporphyrin isomers, generally in regioselective manner, and sets of separable stereoisomeric dihydroxytetrahydroporphyrin regioisomers. The connectivity of the regio- and stereoisomers were determined spectroscopically and, in many cases, using single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The optical properties of the chlorin-, bacteriochlorin-, and isobacteriochlorin-type chromophores are described. They highlight general observations on the regiochemical effects of the ß-oxo-auxochrome. This contribution thus delineates the formation of a range of regio- and stereoisomers of a family of chromophores with broadly varying optical properties from a single and readily available starting material (OEP) in two straightforward steps, albeit requiring extensive chromatography.

Pyrrole-Modified Porphyrins Containing Eight-Membered Heterocycles Using a Reversal of the "Breaking and Mending" Strategy.

The conversion of meso-aryl-porphyrins/chlorins to porphyrinoids containing nonpyrrolic heterocycles (so-called pyrrole-modified porphyrins, PMPs) along an approach we dubbed "the breaking and mending of porphyrins" is well known. However, examples are limited to the synthesis of PMPs containing up to six-membered heterocycles; the syntheses of larger rings failed. We report here hitherto unavailable eight-membered chlorin-type PMPs using an inverted "mending and breaking" approach. All examples are based on the addition of N,N'-dimethylurea derivatives to a meso-phenyl-ß,ß'-dioxoporphyrin, followed by oxidative cleavage of the intermediate diol adduct. We correlate the extremely nonplanar solid-state structures of three crystallographically characterized PMPs containing an eight-membered ring with their solution-state optical properties. The first examples of bis-modified, bacteriochlorin-type PMPs containing either two eight-membered rings or an eight-membered ring and an imidazolone ring are also detailed. Using other N,N'-nucleophiles failed to either generate chlorins containing a ß,ß'-dihydroxypyrroline, a prerequisite for the "breaking step," or the cleavage of those substrates that did generate a diol underwent subsequent reactions that thwarted the generation of the desired PMPs. This contribution adds novel PMPs containing eight-membered rings, highlights the effects these derivatizations have on the macrocycle conformation, and how that affects their optical properties.

Evaluation of Octaethyl-7,17-dioxobacteriochlorin as a Ligand for Transition Metals.

The propensity of octaethyl-7,17-dioxobacteriochlorin toward the formation of transition metal complexes was evaluated. A variety of MII ions (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pd, Ag, and Cd) and Fe(III) could be inserted using standard methodologies or, more often, using more forcing conditions. The stable products were spectroscopically characterized. The solid-state structures of the Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II), and Ag(II) complexes could also be determined by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, whereby the [7,17-dioxobacteriochlorinato] chromophore was found to be largely planar in all cases. The rate of Zn(II) insertion into octaethyl-7,17-dioxobacteriochlorin was less than half that into the corresponding 7-oxochlorin, which itself was about half the rate into the parent octaethylporphyrin. These rate differences reflect the relative decreased basicity of the ß-oxo-substituted chromophores and possibly also their decreased conformational flexibility. We compare the basicity of the dioxobacteriochlorin to that of a range of related products of varying reduction state (porphyrin, chlorin, bacteriochlorin), an isomer, and the absence or presence of oxo-functionality, like oxochlorin, chlorin, oxobacteriochlorins, and bacteriochlorin, quantifying the effects of these macrocycle modifications. The work rationalizes earlier reports of the inability of tolyporphin A, a natural product possessing a 7,17-dioxobacteriochlorin chromophore, to form metal complexes and provide a more quantitative understanding of the degree of modulation that ß-oxo groups have on the coordination properties of porphyrinoids.

Siamese-Twin Porphyrin Goes Platinum: Group 10 Monometallic, Homobimetallic, and Heterobimetallic Complexes.

A series of PtII-based monometallic (H2PtL), homobimetallic (Pt2L), and heterobimetallic (NiPtL and PdPtL) group 10 complexes of the previously established expanded twin porphyrin (H4L) were prepared. Structural characterization of the bimetallic PtII series (Pt2L, NiPtL, and PdPtL) revealed their similar general structures, with slight differences correlated to the ion size. An improvement of the metal-ion insertion process also allowed efficient preparation of the known Pd2L complex, and the novel heterobimetallic NiPdL complex was also structurally characterized. UV-vis spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and (spectro)electrochemistry were used to characterize the complexes; the electronic properties followed largely established lines for metal complexes of the twin porphyrin, except that the PtII-based systems exhibited more complex UV-vis spectral signatures. MCD spectra accompanied by density functional theory (DFT)/time-dependent DFT computations (TDDFT) rationalize the origins of the optical features of the twin porphyrin. The presence of the nonplanar, nonaromatic macrocyclic π system with conjugation pathways confined to each half of the molecule could be visualized. Significant pyrazole(π) → pyrrole(π*) charge-transfer character was predicted for several transitions in the visible region. This study adds to our fundamental understanding of the formation, structure, and electronic structure of bimetallic complexes of this class of expanded metalloporphyrins containing nonpyrrolic moieties.

Real-time in situ auto-correction of K+ interference for continuous and long-term NH4+ monitoring in wastewater using solid-state ion selective membrane (S-ISM) sensor assembly.

Potassium ions (K+) present in wastewater has caused severe interference for NH4+ monitoring, over-estimation of NH4+ concentration and ultimately leads to extra energy consumption. Past effort for enhancing the selectivity of NH4+ over K+ were oftentimes complex, costly, or compromised the selectivity and accuracy of the NH4+ ion selective membrane (ISM) sensors. This study targeted this imminent challenge by developing an integrated NH4+/K+ auto-correction solid-state ISM (S-ISM) sensor assembly combined with a data-driven model to monitor [NH4+] under different [NH4+] and [K+] concentrations. The results showed that the interference of K+ was substantially alleviated for NH4+ measurement. The accuracy was enhanced by over 70% when examined using real wastewater and energy consumption was expected to reduce by 26% for a wastewater treatment plant, especially for wastewater with high [K+]. Furthermore, the uniquely structured S-ISMs were made by embedding the ionophores in a robust polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix containing plasticizers and a layer of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as ion-to-electron transducer, which maintained the selectivity and accuracy of the S-ISM sensor for 4 weeks in wastewater. NH4+/K+ sensor assembly integrated with data-driven correction models poses great potential in high-efficiency and energy-saving wastewater treatment and water reuse processes.

Oxazolochlorins 21. Most Efficient Access to meso-Tetraphenyl- and meso-Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porpholactones, and Their Zinc(II) and Platinum(II) Complexes.

meso-Phenyl- and meso-pentafluorophenyl-porpholactones, their metal complexes, as well as porphyrinoids directly derived from them are useful in a number of technical and biomedical applications, and more uses are expected to be discovered. About a dozen competing and complementary pathways toward their synthesis were reported. The suitability of the methods changes with the meso-aryl group and whether the free base or metal derivatives are sought. These circumstances make it hard for anyone outside of the field of synthetic porphyrin chemistry to ascertain which pathway is the best to produce which specific derivative. We report here on what we experimentally evaluated to be the most efficient pathways to generate the six key compounds from the commercially available porphyrins, meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TFPP): free base meso-tetraphenylporpholactone (TPL) and meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porpholactone (TFPL), and their platinum(II) and zinc(II) complexes TPLPt, TFPLPt, TPLZn, and TFPLZn, respectively. Detailed procedures are provided to make these intriguing molecules more readily available for their further study.

Bacterio- and Isobacteriodilactones by Stepwise or Direct Oxidations of meso-Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin.

Porpholactones are porphyrinoids in which one or more ß,ß'-bonds of the parent chromophore were replaced by lactone moieties. Accessible to varying degrees by direct and nonselective oxidations of porphyrins, the rational syntheses of all five dilactone isomers along stepwise, controlled, and high-yielding routes via porphyrin → tetrahydroxyisobacteriochlorin metal complexes → isobacteriochlorindilactone metal complexes or porphyrin → tetrahydroxybacteriochlorin → bacteriochlorindilactone (and related) pathways, respectively, are described. A major benefit of these complementary routes over established methods is the simplicity of the isolation of the dilactones because of the reduced number of side products formed. In an alternative approach we report the direct and selective conversion of free base meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin to all isomers of free base isobacteriodilactones using the oxidant cetyltrimethylN+MnO4-. The solid-state structures of some of the isomers and their precursors are reported, providing data on the conformational modulation induced by the derivatizations. We also rationalize computationally their differing thermodynamic stability and electronic properties. In making new efficient routes toward these dilactone isomers available, we enable the further study of this diverse class of porphyrinoids.

Observations on the Mechanochemical Insertion of Zinc(II), Copper(II), Magnesium(II), and Select Other Metal(II) Ions into Porphyrins.

Building on a proof of concept study that showed the possibility of the mechanochemical insertion of some M(II) metals into meso-tetraphenylporphyrin using a ball mill as an alternative to traditional solution-based methods, we present here a detailed study of the influence of the many experimental variables on the reaction outcome performed in a planetary mill. Using primarily the mechanochemical zinc, copper, and magnesium insertion reactions, the scope and limits of the type of porphyrins (electron-rich or electron-poor meso-tetraarylporphyrins, synthetic or naturally occurring octaalkylporphyrins, and meso-triphenylcorrole) and metal ion sources suitable for this metal insertion modality were determined. We demonstrate the influence of the experimental metal insertion parameters, such as ball mill speed and reaction time, and investigated the often surprising roles of a variety of grinding agents. Also, the mechanochemical reaction conditions that remove zinc from a zinc porphyrin complex or exchange it for copper were studied. Using some standardized conditions, we also screened the feasibility of a number of other metal(II) insertion reactions (VO, Ni, Fe, Co, Ag, Cd, Pd, Pt, Pb). The underlying factors determining the rates of the insertion reactions were found to be complex and not always readily predictable. Some findings of fundamental significance for the mechanistic understanding of the mechanochemical insertion of metal ions into porphyrins are highlighted. Particularly the mechanochemical insertion of Mg(II) is a mild alternative to established solution methods. The work provides a baseline from which the practitioner may start to evaluate the mechanochemical metal insertion into porphyrins using a planetary ball mill.