[3+3] condensation of N-confused tripyrrane dicarbinol 1 and
tripyrrane 2 (Scheme 2).[10] Interestingly, the conformational
flexibility of 3 is evident at room temperature and results in
X-ray-quality crystals of 3 in the neutral form were unsuc-
cessful, but fortunately crystals suitable for X-ray analysis
were obtained from slow diffusion of n-hexane into a solution
of 3 in CH2Cl2/trifluoroacetic acid (TFA; 5:1). The X-ray
structure revealed the monoprotonated structure of 3 with a
twisted hexapyrrolic frame-
1
very broad H NMR signals in CDCl3, and such conforma-
tional dynamics was frozen at low temperature.[11a] The
work (Figure 2a).[11b] Inter-
estingly, effective hydrogen-
bonding interactions are
found for pyrrole ring
B···TFA···ring E, thus forcing
the pyrrole subunits to be
tilted or fully inverted to
maintain a twisted conforma-
tion.[11a]
First, a monometalation
reaction was performed on
the aromatic [26]hexaphyrin
3 by treatment with AuCl·S-
(CH3)2 in
a mixture of
CH2Cl2 and methanol (5:1)
for 1 hour at room temper-
ature. Purification by using a
short column of silica gel
afforded mono-AuIII com-
plex 5 in 74% yield. The X-
ray structure shows a rectan-
Scheme 2. Preparation of N-confused hexaphyrin (3 and 4) and metal complexes (5 and 6). Reaction
conditions. a) BF3·Et2O (0.5 equiv), 1 h, RT; b) DDQ (3.5 equiv), 14 h, RT; c) AuCl·SMe2 (4 equiv), 1 h, RT;
d) [PtCl2(PhCN)2] (4 equiv), 6 h, RT. DDQ=2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone.
1H NMR spectrum at À608C exhibits well resolved signals
and reveals a strong diatropic ring current arising from its 26p
aromatic circuit. A signal at d = 9.46 ppm for the b proton of
the N-confused pyrrole rings and six sets of multiplet signals
appear between d = 8.35–9.25 ppm for the remaining outer
b protons. In addition, three signals appear at d = 1.22, 0.61,
and 0.06 ppm for inner NH protons and a pair of multiplet
signals around d = 0.84 and À0.72 ppm correspond to the
inner b protons of ring B. These data unambiguously indicate
the inversion of the regular pyrrole ring away from the
macrocyclic cavity, while the confused pyrrole ring points
towards the macrocyclic cavity—this is in sharp contrast to the
structure of N2CH with two confused pyrrole rings that are
inverted.[9] In contrast, the reduced isomer 4 with a 28p
conjugated circuit exhibits a well resolved spectrum at room
temperature featuring three signals at d = 6.91, 10.41, and
12.03 ppm resulting from NH protons, nine different signals in
the range d = 5.43–7.54 ppm ascribed to the pyrrolic b pro-
tons, and a signal at d = 6.74 ppm for the b proton of the
confused pyrrole rings, therefore suggesting that the structure
of 4 is nonsymmetric and nonaromatic.
The UV/Vis absorption spectrum of 3 displays an intense
Soret-like band at 570 nm, which is a characteristic band for
hexaphyrin systems, and Q-bands between 700 and 980 nm, in
line with its aromaticity. On the other hand, 4 features two
broad bands in the region from 400 to 600 nm arising from its
28p nonaromatic conjugated circuit (Figure 1).[12] Notably,
[26]hexaphyrin 3 and [28]hexaphyrin 4 undergo reversible
redox interconversion with the aid of simple redox reagents
such as DDQ and NaBH4.[13] Several attempts to obtain the
Figure 1. UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectra of 3 (blue), 4 (red), 5
(green), and 6 (black) in CH2Cl2.
gular and a fairly planar framework with a mean plane
deviation of 0.697 ꢀ from the plane defined by 36 atoms on
pyrrole rings and methine carbon atoms (excluding the
oxygen atom; Figure 2b).[11b] The Au atom is located within
the NNNC cavity in a square-planar fashion, in which three
À
À
Au N and one Au C bond lengths are 2.033(6), 2.028(6),
2.073(4), and 2.027(5) ꢀ, respectively. This square-planar
arrangement is similar to that observed for a previously
reported N-confused porphyrin to AuIII complex.[14] The NH
proton (at N4) forms two intramolecular hydrogen bonds with
À
neighboring atoms (N4-H···N3 and N4 H···O1 with distances
of 2.245(5) ꢀ for N4···N3 and 2.404(4) ꢀ for N4···O1). The
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 2302 –2306
ꢀ 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
2303