Circulatory levels of lysophosphatidylcholine species in obese adolescents: Findings from cross-sectional and prospective lipidomics analyses.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, emphasizing the importance of reliable biomarkers for detecting early metabolic alterations and enabling early preventative interventions. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and specific lipid species associated with childhood obesity remains limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate plasma lipidomic signatures as potential biomarkers for adolescent obesity. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 103 individuals comprising overweight/obese (n = 46) and normal weight (n = 57) were randomly chosen from the baseline ORANGE (Obesity Reduction and Noncommunicable Disease Awareness through Group Education) cohort, having been followed up for a median of 7.1 years. Plasma lipidomic profiling was performed using the UHPLC-HRMS method. We used three different models adjusted for clinical covariates to analyze the data. Clustering methods were used to define metabotypes, which allowed for the stratification of subjects into subgroups with similar clinical and metabolic profiles. We observed that lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) species like LPC.16.0, LPC.18.3, LPC.18.1, and LPC.20.3 were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with baseline and follow-up BMI in adolescent obesity. The association of LPC species with BMI remained consistently significant even after adjusting for potential confounders. Moreover, applying metabotyping using hierarchical clustering provided insights into the metabolic heterogeneity within the normal and obese groups, distinguishing metabolically healthy individuals from those with unhealthy metabolic profiles. CONCLUSION: The specific LPC levels were found to be altered and increased in childhood obesity, particularly during the follow-up. These findings suggest that LPC species hold promise as potential biomarkers of obesity in adolescents, including healthy and unhealthy metabolic profiles.

Fluoride ion coordination-induced turn-on fluorescence of tailored N-methyl N-confused tripyrromonomethene analogues.

Structural isolation of two unprecedented AIEE/ACQ type fluorophores based on N-methyl N-confused tripyrromonomethene analogues exhibiting selective F- anion-coordination-induced-enhanced emission (ACIEE) with a detection limit of 10-7 M is reported. The intrinsic relation between molecular structures/molecular arrangements with (without) anion binding have been revealed at a deeper level via spectroscopic measurements and DFT level theoretical studies.

Perimeter Coordinated Diastereomeric Rh(I) Complex of Helically Twisted Weakly Aromatic Hybrid Singly N-Confused ß-ß Fused Ferrocenoporphyrinoids.

Expedient synthesis, spectroscopic, solid state structural proof, and theoretical study of helically twisted weakly aromatic hybrid singly N-confused ferrocenoporphyrinoids and the peripheral coordinated Rh(I) complex are reported. The X-ray crystal structure of the macrocycles reveals an ambiguously inverted pyrrole ring reinforcing regioselective ß,ß-linkage with the spatially adjacent N-confused N-methyl pyrrole ring leading to endocyclic extension of macrocyclic π-conjugation via tricyclic [5.5.5] moiety. The three-dimensional structure with built-in fused tricyclic [5.5.5] moiety has paved way to three-dimensional weak diatropicity with vis-NIR absorptions. The peripheral coordinated Rh(I) complex owing to helical chirality about the macrocyclic ring and planar chirality about the square planar Rh coordination site exists as a mixture of diastereomers (5:3) with well resolved 1H NMR spectra anticipating weak aromaticity. The experimental spectroscopic measurements are in agreement with theoretically determined electronic structure and properties strongly elucidating sustained weak diatropic ring currents in twisted macrocycles both in neutral form and in the metalated complex. Further fragment molecular orbital approach and molecular orbital theory gave insights on the stability of N-confused ß-ß fused oxo-ferrocenoporphyrinoids and formation of the selective peripheral coordinated Rh(I) complex.

Redox-Associated Variation of Hückel Aromaticity from Lactam-Embedded Smallest Antiaromatic trans-Doubly N-Confused Porphyrins: Synthesis and Characterization.

High-yield synthesis, spectroscopic and solid-state structural proof of the lactam-embedded smallest ever metal-free stable Hückel antiaromatic trans-doubly N-confused [16] porphyrins are reported. These new facets of trans-doubly N-confused porphyrins have been anticipated to exhibit the redox-associated variation of Hückel aromaticity as a mere consequence of the amido-like structures of the N-confused N-methyl pyrrole rings of the macrocycles. Strong aromaticity upon NaBH4 reduction leading to a resonance dipolar structure of the [18]π-conjugated system as the reduced congener with concomitant Hückel topology are the important highlights. Excellent agreement between experimental spectroscopic measurements and the theoretically determined properties elucidate aromaticity switching upon chemical reduction. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge of demand for the experimental realization of stable antiaromatic systems because of their versatile applications in material science. The conformational rigidity and the enriched stability of these novel 16π antiaromatic doubly N-confused porphyrins might entitle these macrocycles toward such applications.

Targeted synthesis of meso-aryl substituted aromatic trans-doubly N-confused dithia/diselena [18] porphyrins (1.1.1.1) with NIR absorption: spectroscopic and theoretical characterization.

High yield synthesis and spectroscopic isolation of two hitherto unknown highly stable single conformers of meso-aryl substituted dithia/diselena trans-doubly N-confused porphyrins with fully π-conjugated [18] annulene structures are reported. In-depth solution state spectroscopic measurements and DFT level theoretical calculations strongly show the distinct aromaticity with strong NIR absorption of these new macrocycles.

Conformationally Rigid Ethynylene-Cumulene Conjugated Aromatic [30] Heteroannulenes with NIR Absorption: Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Theoretical Characterization.

Two hitherto unknown conformationally rigid Hückel aromatic ethynylene-cumulene conjugated [30] heteroannulenes have been synthesized and characterized. A thorough solution-state spectroscopic characterization, combined with in-depth theoretical calculations, has been performed to arrive at the proposed geometry of the macrocycles. The most stable optimized structures for the free base form of both the macrocycles showed absolute planar geometries without any ring inversion with mean plane deviation (MPD) values of 0.00 and 0.00 Å, respectively, in accordance with the NMR spectroscopic observations. The induced correspondence of rigid ethynylene-cumulene moieties leading to near-infrared (NIR) absorption in neutral and protonated forms of macrocycles is the important highlight of this article. This noteworthy finding has been supported by DFT-level theoretical calculations. There is an increasing pursuit in designing such NIR-absorbing/-emitting systems due to their immense applications in medicine and biology for recognizing and transportation of various substrates. The geometry of the novel 30π aromatic heteroannulenes shows promise for evolution of such novel systems in near future.

meso-Aryl substituted stable unorthodox 5,10-porphodimethenes with α,ß and ß,ß-N-methyl pyrrole connectivities: synthesis and spectroscopic, solid state and theoretical characterization.

A concise and convenient synthetic methodology leading to an unambiguous isolation of two hitherto unknown highly stable single conformers of meso-aryl substituted unorthodox 5,10-porphodimethenes has been developed by the inclusion of N-methyl pyrrole units with α,ß and ß,ß-linkages into the core of heterocyclic macrocycles.

Sesaminol diglucoside, a water-soluble lignan from sesame seeds induces brown fat thermogenesis in mice.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is the site of non-shivering thermogenesis in mammals, wherein energy is dissipated as heat. We observed that aqueous extract of black sesame seed triggers an increase in the expression of Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipocytes from mice. The active component from the extract was purified and identified to be sesaminol diglucoside (SDG). SDG treatment decreased mass of white fat pads and serum glucose levels and increased UCP1 levels in BAT thereby protecting mice against high fat induced weight gain. Further in silico and in vitro studies revealed that these effects are due to the agonist like behaviour of SDG towards beta 3 adrenergic receptors (ß3-AR). Together, our results suggest that SDG induces BAT mediated thermogenesis through ß3-AR and protects mice against diet-induced obesity.

Mechanistic Variants in Gas-Phase Metal-Oxide Mediated Activation of Methane at Ambient Conditions.

The C-H bond activation of methane mediated by a prototypical heteronuclear metal-oxide cluster, [Al2Mg2O5](•+), was investigated by using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) in conjunction with high-level quantum mechanical calculations. Experimentally, hydrogen-atom abstraction from methane by the cluster ion [Al2Mg2O5](•+) takes place at ambient conditions. As to the mechanism, according to our computational findings, both the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and the conventional hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) are feasible and compete with each other. This is in distinct contrast to the [XYO2](+) (X, Y = Mg, Al, Si) cluster oxide ions which activate methane exclusively via the PCET route (Li, J.; Zhou, S.; Zhang, J.; Schlangen, M.; Weiske, T.; Usharani, D.; Shaik, S.; Schwarz, H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 7973-7981). The electronic origins of the mechanistically rather complex reactivity scenarios of the [Al2Mg2O5](•+)/CH4 couple were elucidated. For the PCET mechanism, in which the Lewis acid-base pair [Al(+)-O(-)] of the cluster acts as the active site, a clear correlation has been established between the nature of the transition state, the corresponding barrier height, the Lewis acidity-basicity of the [M(+)-O(-)] unit, as well as the bond order of the M(+)-O(-) bond. Also addressed is the role of the spin and charge distributions of a terminal oxygen radical site in the direct HAT route. The knowledge of the factors that control the reactivity of PCET and HAT pathways not only deepens our mechanistic understanding of metal-oxide mediated C-H bond activation but may also provide guidance for the rational design of catalysts.

Electronic Origins of the Variable Efficiency of Room-Temperature Methane Activation by Homo- and Heteronuclear Cluster Oxide Cations [XYO2](+) (X, Y = Al, Si, Mg): Competition between Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer and Hydrogen-Atom Transfer.

The reactivity of the homo- and heteronuclear oxide clusters [XYO2](+) (X, Y = Al, Si, Mg) toward methane was studied using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, in conjunction with high-level quantum mechanical calculations. The most reactive cluster by both experiment and theory is [Al2O2](•+). In its favorable pathway, this cluster abstracts a hydrogen atom by means of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) instead of following the conventional hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) route. This mechanistic choice originates in the strong Lewis acidity of the aluminum site of [Al2O2](•+), which cleaves the C-H bond heterolytically to form an Al-CH3 entity, while the proton is transferred to the bridging oxygen atom of the cluster ion. In addition, a comparison of the reactivity of heteronuclear and homonuclear oxide clusters [XYO2](+) (X, Y = Al, Si, Mg) reveals a striking doping effect by aluminum. Thus, the vacant s-p hybrid orbital on Al acts as an acceptor of the electron pair from methyl anion (CH3(-)) and is therefore eminently important for bringing about thermal methane activation by PCET. For the Al-doped cluster ions, the spin density at an oxygen atom, which is crucial for the HAT mechanism, acts here as a spectator during the course of the PCET mediated C-H bond cleavage. A diagnostic plot of the deformation energy vis-à-vis the barrier shows the different HAT/PCET reactivity map for the entire series. This is a strong connection to the recently discussed mechanism of oxidative coupling of methane on magnesium oxide surfaces proceeding through Grignard-type intermediates.

How does tunneling contribute to counterintuitive H-abstraction reactivity of nonheme Fe(IV)O oxidants with alkanes?

This article addresses the intriguing hydrogen-abstraction (H-abstraction) and oxygen-transfer (O-transfer) reactivity of a series of nonheme [Fe(IV)(O)(TMC)(Lax)](z+) complexes, with a tetramethyl cyclam ligand and a variable axial ligand (Lax), toward three substrates: 1,4-cyclohexadiene, 9,10-dihydroanthracene, and triphenyl phosphine. Experimentally, O-transfer-reactivity follows the relative electrophilicity of the complexes, whereas the corresponding H-abstraction-reactivity generally increases as the axial ligand becomes a better electron donor, hence exhibiting an antielectrophilic trend. Our theoretical results show that the antielectrophilic trend in H-abstraction is affected by tunneling contributions. Room-temperature tunneling increases with increase of the electron donation power of the axial-ligand, and this reverses the natural electrophilic trend, as revealed through calculations without tunneling, and leads to the observed antielectrophilic trend. By contrast, O-transfer-reactivity, not being subject to tunneling, retains an electrophilic-dependent reactivity trend, as revealed experimentally and computationally. Tunneling-corrected kinetic-isotope effect (KIE) calculations matched the experimental KIE values only if all of the H-abstraction reactions proceeded on the quintet state (S = 2) surface. As such, the present results corroborate the initially predicted two-state reactivity (TSR) scenario for these reactions. The increase of tunneling with the electron-releasing power of the axial ligand, and the reversal of the "natural" reactivity pattern, support the "tunneling control" hypothesis (Schreiner et al., ref 19). Should these predictions be corroborated, the entire field of C-H bond activation in bioinorganic chemistry would lay open to reinvestigation.

A tutorial for understanding chemical reactivity through the valence bond approach.

This is a tutorial on the usage of valence bond (VB) diagrams for understanding chemical reactivity in general, and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactivity in particular. The tutorial instructs the reader how to construct the VB diagrams and how to estimate HAT barriers from raw data, starting with the simplest reaction H + H2 and going all the way to HAT in the enzyme cytochrome P450. Other reactions are treated as well, and some unifying principles are outlined. The tutorial projects the unity of reactivity treatments, following Coulson's dictum "give me insight, not numbers", albeit with its modern twist: giving numbers and insight.

Structural and functional characterization of a cytochrome P450 2B4 F429H mutant with an axial thiolate-histidine hydrogen bond.

The structural basis of the regulation of microsomal cytochrome P450 (P450) activity was investigated by mutating the highly conserved heme binding motif residue, Phe429, on the proximal side of cytochrome P450 2B4 to a histidine. Spectroscopic, pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic, thermodynamic, theoretical, and structural studies of the mutant demonstrate that formation of an H-bond between His429 and the unbonded electron pair of the Cys436 axial thiolate significantly alters the properties of the enzyme. The mutant lost >90% of its activity; its redox potential was increased by 87 mV, and the half-life of the oxyferrous mutant was increased ∼37-fold. Single-crystal electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the mutant was reduced by a small dose of X-ray photons. The structure revealed that the δN atom of His429 forms an H-bond with the axial Cys436 thiolate whereas the εN atom forms an H-bond with the solvent and the side chain of Gln357. The amide of Gly438 forms the only other H-bond to the tetrahedral thiolate. Theoretical quantification of the histidine-thiolate interaction demonstrates a significant electron withdrawing effect on the heme iron. Comparisons of structures of class I-IV P450s demonstrate that either a phenylalanine or tryptophan is often found at the location corresponding to Phe429. Depending on the structure of the distal pocket heme, the residue at this location may or may not regulate the thermodynamic properties of the P450. Regardless, this residue appears to protect the thiolate from solvent, oxidation, protonations, and other deleterious reactions.

Theory uncovers an unusual mechanism of DNA repair of a lesioned adenine by AlkB enzymes.

DNA-base lesions cause cancer and propagate into the genome. We use in-protein QM/MM calculations to study the repair of etheno-bridged adenine (εA) by the iron(IV)-oxo species of AlkB enzymes. Recent experimental investigations, using mass-spectrometry and in crystallo isolation, suggested that εA was repaired by formation of an epoxide (εA-ep) that further transforms to a glycol (εA-gl), ending finally in adenine and glyoxal. Theory reproduces the experimentally observed barrier for the rate-determining step and its pH dependence. However, as we show, the mass-spectrometrically identified species are side-byproducts unassociated with the repair mechanism. The repair is mediated by a zwitterionic species, of the same molecular mass as the epoxide, which transforms to an intermediate that matches the in crystallo trapped species in structure and mass, but is NOT the assumed εA-gl iron-glycol complex. Verifiable/falsifiable predictions, regarding the key protein residues, follow. The paper underscores the indispensable role of theory by providing atomistic descriptions of this vital mechanism, and guiding further experimental investigations.

A theory for bioinorganic chemical reactivity of oxometal complexes and analogous oxidants: the exchange and orbital-selection rules.

Over the past decades metalloenzymes and their synthetic models have emerged as an area of increasing research interest. The metalloenzymes and their synthetic models oxidize organic molecules using oxometal complexes (OMCs), especially oxoiron(IV)-based ones. Theoretical studies have helped researchers to characterize the active species and to resolve mechanistic issues. This activity has generated massive amounts of data on the relationship between the reactivity of OMCs and the transition metal's identity, oxidation state, ligand sphere, and spin state. Theoretical studies have also produced information on transition state (TS) structures, reaction intermediates, barriers, and rate-equilibrium relationships. For example, the experimental-theoretical interplay has revealed that nonheme enzymes carry out H-abstraction from strong C-H bonds using high-spin (S = 2) oxoiron(IV) species with four unpaired electrons on the iron center. However, other reagents with higher spin states and more unpaired electrons on the metal are not as reactive. Still other reagents carry out these transformations using lower spin states with fewer unpaired electrons on the metal. The TS structures for these reactions exhibit structural selectivity depending on the reactive spin states. The barriers and thermodynamic driving forces of the reactions also depend on the spin state. H-Abstraction is preferred over the thermodynamically more favorable concerted insertion into C-H bonds. Currently, there is no unified theoretical framework that explains the totality of these fascinating trends. This Account aims to unify this rich chemistry and understand the role of unpaired electrons on chemical reactivity. We show that during an oxidative step the d-orbital block of the transition metal is enriched by one electron through proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). That single electron elicits variable exchange interactions on the metal, which in turn depend critically on the number of unpaired electrons on the metal center. Thus, we introduce the exchange-enhanced reactivity (EER) principle, which predicts the preferred spin state during oxidation reactions, the dependence of the barrier on the number of unpaired electrons in the TS, and the dependence of the deformation energy of the reactants on the spin state. We complement EER with orbital-selection rules, which predict the structure of the preferred TS and provide a handy theory of bioinorganic oxidative reactions. These rules show how EER provides a Hund's Rule for chemical reactivity: EER controls the reactivity landscape for a great variety of transition-metal complexes and substrates. Among many reactivity patterns explained, EER rationalizes the abundance of high-spin oxoiron(IV) complexes in enzymes that carry out bond activation of the strongest bonds. The concepts used in this Account might also be applicable in other areas such as in f-block chemistry and excited-state reactivity of 4d and 5d OMCs.

Elucidating the functional role of human ABHD16B lipase in regulating triacylglycerol mobilization and membrane lipid synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Lipids are essential biological macromolecules that play a pivotal role in various physiological processes and cellular homeostasis. ABHD16B, a member of the α/ß-hydrolase domain (ABHD) superfamily protein, has emerged as a potential key regulator in lipid metabolism. However, the precise role of human ABHD16B in lipid metabolism remains unclear. In this study, we reported the overexpression of ABHD16B in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine its physiological relevance in lipid metabolism. Through in vivo [14C]acetate labeling experiments, we observed that overexpression of ABHD16B causes a decrease in cellular triacylglycerol (TAG) levels and a concurrent increase in phospholipid synthesis in wild-type cells. Mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis further corroborated these findings, showing a significant decrease in TAGs with a carbon chain length of 48 and an increase in major phospholipid species, specifically 34:2, upon overexpression of ABHD16B. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed a reduction in the number of lipid droplets in strains overexpressing ABHD16B, consistent with the observed decrease in neutral lipids. Additionally, qRT-PCR analysis indicated a high phospholipid synthetic activity of ABHD16B and a potential decrease in TAG levels in wild-type yeast, possibly due to upregulation of endogenous TAG hydrolytic enzymes, as confirmed using 3tglsΔ mutant strain. Furthermore, GC-MS analysis revealed significant modifications in fatty acid composition upon ABHD16B overexpression. Collectively, our results underscore the influence of ABHD16B overexpression on TAG levels, phospholipid synthesis, lipid droplet dynamics, and fatty acid composition. These findings reveal a complex interplay between TAG hydrolysis and phospholipid synthesis, highlighting the critical involvement of ABHD16B in lipid homeostasis and providing further insights into its regulatory function in cellular lipid metabolism.

Rational and controllable syntheses of variants of modified N-confused N-fused porphodimethenes and a porphotrimethene with adaptive properties.

Retrosynthetic design and synthesis with structural isolation of two unprecedented core modified N-confused N-fused porphodimethene-like porphyrinoids possessing a [5.5.5.5] tetracyclic ring with tunable photophysical properties is reported. The solid-state X-ray crystal structure reveals the expected cis geometry for the meso-sp3 carbons. Controlled chemical oxidation of the porphodimethene analogue 11 bearing the N-confused pyrrole moiety to the corresponding porphotrimethene 12 has been achieved in quantitative yield, while 10 bearing the N-methyl N-confused pyrrole moiety remained unsusceptible to chemical oxidation. All three S2N3 hybrid N-confused N-fused porphodi(tri)methene-like porphyrinoids 10-12 could recognize the fluoride anion with high selectivity; however, porphodimethene 10 and porphotrimethene 12 do so via deprotonation rather than an anion recognition based mechanism as has been anticipated in the case of porphodimethene 11.

Dichotomous hydrogen atom transfer vs proton-coupled electron transfer during activation of X-H bonds (X = C, N, O) by nonheme iron-oxo complexes of variable basicity.

We describe herein the hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT)/proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) reactivity for Fe(IV)-oxo and Fe(III)-oxo complexes (1-4) that activate C-H, N-H, and O-H bonds in 9,10-dihydroanthracene (S1), dimethylformamide (S2), 1,2-diphenylhydrazine (S3), p-methoxyphenol (S4), and 1,4-cyclohexadiene (S5). In 1-3, the iron is pentacoordinated by tris[N'-tert-butylureaylato)-N-ethylene]aminato ([H3buea](3-)) or its derivatives. These complexes are basic, in the order 3 ≫ 1 > 2. Oxidant 4, [Fe(IV)N4Py(O)](2+) (N4Py: N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine), is the least basic oxidant. The DFT results match experimental trends and exhibit a mechanistic spectrum ranging from concerted HAT and PCET reactions to concerted-asynchronous proton transfer (PT)/electron transfer (ET) mechanisms, all the way to PT. The singly occupied orbital along the O···H···X (X = C, N, O) moiety in the TS shows clearly that in the PCET cases, the electron is transferred separately from the proton. The Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle does not account for the observed reactivity pattern, as evidenced by the scatter in the plot of calculated barrier vs reactions driving forces. However, a plot of the deformation energy in the TS vs the respective barrier provides a clear signature of the HAT/PCET dichotomy. Thus, in all C-H bond activations, the barrier derives from the deformation energy required to create the TS, whereas in N-H/O-H bond activations, the deformation energy is much larger than the corresponding barrier, indicating the presence of a stabilizing interaction between the TS fragments. A valence bond model is used to link the observed results with the basicity/acidity of the reactants.

Molecular insights on PS-PLA1 lipase activity of human ABHD16B.

The human alpha beta hydrolase domain (ABHD) proteins are ubiquitous and regulate the cellular lipids' anabolic and catabolic processes. The structural aspects for specific biochemical function of many ABHD proteins related to physiological disorders and its link to pathological conditions remain unknown. Here putative human ABHD16B protein was overexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for its biological activity. In-vitro enzymatic assay of the recombinant ABHD16B protein with fluorescently tagged glycerophospholipids revealed that the PLA1 activity is observed with phosphatidylserine (PS). In addition, it efficiently hydrolyzed monoacylglycerol over triacylglycerols. Further, molecular dynamic simulations and per residue binding free energy decomposition analysis revealed that the origin of PS-specific PLA1 activity of ABHD16B is due to the electrostatic interaction of the PS head group with K8, R319, and E178, which led to having the hydrogen bond interaction of sn-1 acyl chain ester to the catalytic site residues. Site-directed mutagenesis of the 245GXSXG249 motif of ABHD16B reduced the maximal lipase activity of PS and MAG. In summary, these results revealed that ABHD16B plays a vital role in PS selectivity that in turn, controls the specific subcellular pools of 2-LPS metabolism in the tissues at low pH.

NIR Absorbing Aromatic E-Ethylene Bridged Hexaphyrins (2.1.1.2.1.1): Synthesis, Characterization, and Protonation Studies.

Judicious syntheses, spectroscopic analyses, and solid state structural evidence of two structural variants (with planar geometry) of strongly aromatic hybrid [30] E-ethylene bridged hexaphyrins (2.1.1.2.1.1) exhibiting strong NIR absorption are reported. The induced correspondence of fused phenanthrene on the pyrrole moieties has led to a further red-shift of up to ∼45 nm in the neutral and protonated form of the macrocycles. The electronic nature and aromaticity of both hexaphyrins are fully supported by DFT calculations.