Porphyrin based metallamacrocycles

Abstract

Upon combining 5,10-dipyridyl-15,20-diphenylporphyrin 1 or its copper metallated complex 2 with metal halides (MX₂: M = Zn, Cd, Hg; X = I or Br) five [2 + 2] metallamacrocycles of the square type were obtained and structurally characterised in the crystalline phase by X-ray diffraction methods. Whereas the free porphyrin 1 leads to the formation of homobinuclear metallamacrocycles with both CdI₂ and HgI₂, a homotetranuclear metallamacrocycle resulting from the metallation of the porphyrin core is obtained in the presence of ZnI₂. When using the premetallated copper complex 2, two heterotetranuclear metallamacrocycles are generated in the presence of CdI₂ and HgBr₂.