Expanding the Subporphyrazine Chromophore by Conjugation of Phenylene and Vinylene Substituents: Rainbow SubPzs.

The efficiency of the vinylene moiety as a linker to intercommunicate the subporphyrazine (SubPz) core with other chromophores and redox active systems has been examined. In addition, different substitution patterns for hexaarylated SubPzs have been explored in order to control the absorption, fluorescence, and redox properties independently of one another. Besides X-ray crystallography, complete spectroscopic and electrochemical characterizations have been performed, and the conclusions have been supported by density functional theory calculations. The absorption and emission profiles, as well as the organization of the macrocycles in the crystalline state, are strongly determined by the substitution pattern. Within the hexaarylated family, para-substitution with electron-rich moieties (i.e., phenylene or ether) red-shifts both the SubPz absorption and emission bands. Progressive fading of these effects upon extending the oligophenylene branches from one to three units evidences the less efficient electronic delocalization over the phenyl ends as the oligophenylene branch is enlarged. Contrasting, meta-substitution produces little variation or blue shift of the SubPz Q-band, while bathochromic shifts are always observed for the emission bands. In hexavinylene-SubPzs, peripheral vinylene moieties adopt a coplanar configuration with the aromatic SubPz core, resulting in a π-extended chromophore that preserves the unique electronic tunability of SubPzs. This is reflected by the strong alteration of the SubPz electronic properties produced by phenyl and biphenyl moieties attached to the vinylene ends.

Tuning the Electron Acceptor in Phthalocyanine-Based Electron Donor-Acceptor Conjugates.

Zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc) have been attached to the peri-position of a perylenemonoimide (PMI) and a perylenemonoanhydride (PMA), affording electron donor-acceptor conjugates 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, a perylene-monoimide-monoanhydride (PMIMA) has been connected to a ZnPc through its imido position to yield the ZnPc-PMIMA conjugate 10. The three conjugates have been studied for photoinduced electron transfer. For ZnPc-PMIMA 10, electron transfer occurs upon both ZnPc and PMIMA excitation, giving rise to a long-lived (340 ps) charge-separated state. For ZnPc-PMI 1 and ZnPc-PMA 2, stabilization of the radical ion pair states by using polar media is necessary. In THF, photoexcitation of either ZnPc or PMI/PMA produces charge-separated states with lifetimes of 375 and 163 ps, respectively.

Ruthenoarenes versus phenol derivatives as axial linkers for subporphyrazine dimers and trimers.

The subporphyrazine (SubPz) dimer diboron(III) [µ-1',4'-benzenediolato][bis-(1,2,6,7,11,12-hexapropylsubporphyrazinato)] (2) and trimer triboron(III)[µ-1',3',5'-benzenetriolato][tris-(1,2,6,7,11,12-hexapropylsubporphyrazinato)] (4), consisting of SubPz units assembled through their axial positions by hydroquinone- and phloroglucinol-linkers, respectively, have been prepared. Selective ruthenium-π-coordination to the linking aromatic rings afforded SubPz arrays 8 and 9, respectively. These latter systems displayed different degrees of electronic communication between the macrocycles relative to 2 and 4 as inferred from analyses of the ground- and excited-state features. For instance, as revealed by time-resolved pump probe transient absorption spectroscopy, the excited singlet states of dimer 2 and trimer 4 undergo rather rapid deactivation. In contrast, the presence of a ruthenoarene linker, as in 8 and 9, serves to increase the SubPz singlet excited state lifetimes; these now reach values similar to those seen in the case of monomeric SubPz compounds that either do or do not contain ruthenoarene subunits (i.e., 7 and 6, respectively). These findings are ascribed to the redox active nature of the hydroquinone and phloroglucinol linkers in 2 and 4 and a change in the electronics that results from organometallic functionalization.

Assembling a phthalocyanine and perylenediimide donor-acceptor hybrid through a platinum(II) diacetylide linker.

In a novel electron-donor-acceptor conjugate, phthalocyanine (Pc) and perylenediimide (PDI) are connected through a trans-platinum(II) diacetylide linker to yield Pc-Pt-PDI 1. In the ground state, the presence of Pt(II) disrupts the electronic communication between the two electroactive components, as revealed by UV/Vis spectroscopy and electrochemical studies. The photophysical behavior of 1 is compared with that of the corresponding Pc-PDI electron-donor-acceptor conjugate 2 in terms of charge separation and charge recombination. The insertion of Pt(II) between Pc and PDI impacts the results in a longer-lived Pc(.) (+) /PDI(.) (-) radical ion-pair state. In addition, the intermediately formed Pc triplet excited state is formed with higher quantum yields in 1 than in 2.

Cyclopentadienylruthenium π complexes of subphthalocyanines: a "drop-pin" approach to modifying the electronic features of aromatic macrocycles.

Facing facts: Coordination of Cp*Ru (Cp*=C(5)Me(5)) to the concave and convex π surfaces of subphthalocyanines constitutes a new approach to the functionalization of subazaporphyrins. While the convex face shows higher reactivity, coordination to the concave side produces a stronger diatropic influence on the Cp* ligand and a greater perturbation of the macrocyclic π-electronic features.

Scrutinizing the chemical nature and photophysics of an expanded hemiporphyrazine: the special case of [30]trithia-2,3,5,10,12,13,15,20,22,23,25,30-dodecaazahexaphyrin.

Thirty π-electron-expanded hemiporphyrazines 1a-c have been prepared by crossover condensation reaction of 2,5-diamino-1,3,4-thiadiazole and the corresponding phthalonitrile (3) or diiminoisoindoline (4) derivatives. The expanded azaporphyrin hexamers have been unequivocally characterized by means of spectroscopic, crystallographic, and electrochemical techniques. Weak intramolecular hydrogen bonding imposes a planar conformation to macrocycles. However, the overall electronic delocalization is low, and the nature of the resulting [30]heteroannulene is nonaromatic, as confirmed by NMR studies, XR diffraction analysis, and calculation of the NICS(0) value. Studies on a wide range of physicochemical features including ground, excited, reduced, and oxidized states provide evidence for the wide applicability of these 30 π-electron-expanded hemiporphyrazines in processes involving electron transfer. A key asset of our work is the systematic development of spectroscopic and kinetic markers for the formation and decay of all of the aforementioned species. Thirty π-electron-expanded hemiporphyrazines evolve as broadly absorbing light harvesters with excited state energies of around 2.3 eV that are susceptible to facile one-electron reduction and one-electron oxidation reactions.

Efficient synthesis of N-prenylpyrroloindoline and N-prenylindole alkaloids based on a new four-reaction anionic domino process.

Treatment of 2,5-diketopiperazines or carbamates derived from tryptophan or tryptamine with iodomethyltrimethylsilane followed by lithium hexamethyldisilazane and a prenyl halide produced stereoselectively derivatives of the hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole system bearing prenyl substituents both at C-3a and at the indoline nitrogen in a one-pot procedure involving a novel four-reaction anionic domino process. The reaction was applied to the preparation of N-prenyltryprostatin B and to achieving a very efficient formal total synthesis of the biologically active marine natural product (+/-)-debromoflustramine B.

Physicochemical characterization of subporphyrazines--lower subphthalocyanine homologues.

Physicochemical characterization of boron(III) subporphyrazines (SubPzs)--lower subphthalocyanine (SubPc) homologues--has been carried out for the first time. The SubPz macrocycle can act both as an oxidizing and a reducing entity, giving rise to stable radical anion or radical cation species, respectively. SubPzs are luminescent and exhibit fluorescence quantum yields that are in the range known for SubPcs. The peripheral substitution plays a dramatic role with respect to the luminescence properties. Moreover, as with SubPcs, deactivation of the singlet excited state of the SubPzs by intersystem crossing affords long-lived triplet excited states, which are amenable to being used as singlet-oxygen generators. Subporphyrazines are also promising electro- and photoactive materials for molecular photovoltaics.

Brief total synthesis of the cell cycle inhibitor tryprostatin B and related preparation of its alanine analogue.

Tryprostatin B was synthesized in 32% overall yield from the readily available dipeptide anhydride cyclo-(l-Trp-l-Pro). Its tandem C-3 prenylation/cyclization gave the corresponding pentacyclic pyrroloindole systems bearing a prenyl group at the indole C-3 position. These compounds were then submitted to acid-catalyzed opening of the newly formed ring, with concomitant migration of the prenyl group to the indole C-2 position. The alanine analogue of tryprostatin B was also prepared using a similar sequence. The successful implementation of this strategy strengthens the case for a biosynthetic route for the tryprostatins along similar lines.