ISSN 0036-0236, Russian Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2017, Vol. 62, No. 5, pp. 688–694. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2017.
Original Russian Text © D.B. Berezin, Vu Thi Thao, S.S. Guseinov, O.V. Shukhto, N.M. Berezina, M.I. Bazanov, D.V. Petrova, A.S. Semeikin, 2017, published in Zhurnal
Neorganicheskoi Khimii, 2017, Vol. 62, No. 5, pp. 694–700.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
OF SOLUTIONS
Synthesis, Stability, and Electrocatalysis by Cu(II)
and Zn(II) Complexes of meso-Bridged
Isomeric Porphyrinoid Tetraphenylporphycene
D. B. Berezina, *, Vu Thi Thaoa, S. S. Guseinovb, O. V. Shukhtoa,
N. M. Berezinaa, **, M. I. Bazanova, D. V. Petrovaa, and A. S. Semeikina
a Research Institute of Macroheterocyclic Compounds, Ivanovo State University
of Chemistry and Technology, Ivanovo, 153000 Russia
b Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, 153045 Russia
*e-mail: berezin@isuct.ru
**e-mail: sky_berezina@rambler.ru
Received March 30, 2016
Abstract—Spectral characteristics (electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence emission spectra, 1H NMR)
of prepared Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of 2,7,12,17-tetraphenylporphycene {H2(β-Ph)4Por}, their thermal
stability, and persistence toward acids, as well as electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties have been
discussed. It has been found by cyclic voltammetry that the electrocatalytic activity of metalloporphycenes
M(β-Ph)4Por in the reaction of molecular oxygen reduction is close to that of metalloporphyrins M(ms-
Ph)4P. Thermal stability and persistence of M(β-Ph)4Por in acidic medium are considerably lower than those
of porphyrin analogs. Thus, the kinetic stability of copper(II) complex of 2,7,12,17-tetraphenylporphycene in
HOAc–H2SO4 medium as compared with Cu(ms-Ph)4P is lower by more than an order of magnitude, while
its thermal stability is almost 200°С lower, which is caused by sterically unfavorable change in the shape of
coordination center of ligand H2(β-Ph)4Por upon complexation.
DOI: 10.1134/S0036023617050035
Porphyrinoids, structural analogs of porphyrins,
are united into one group of compounds, although
they include different classes of aromatic oligopyrrole
macroheterocycles [1–3]. Each class of H2P analogs
has a number of individual structural features, which
affect the properties of these ligands and their metal
complexes as compared with porphyrins themselves
(H2P and MP). In particular, among the features of
structural or meso-bridged isomers of porphyrins, por-
phycenes (H2Por), for example compound I, one can
note a change in the shape of coordination center of
H2P molecule, for example II, from square to rectan-
gular and formation of strong intramolecular N…H–N
hydrogen bond, which assessed by quantum chemical
methods to reach 50 kcal/mol [4, 5]. These structural
changes cause low stability of acid–base forms of
H2Por ligand and its weak coordinating ability [1, 2].
At the same time, the dependence of physicochem-
ical properties and reactivity of this class of com-
pounds on the structure of macrocycle remains poorly
studied [2, 5, 9] owing to complicated synthesis [1, 2,
6, 8]. Therefore in this work, we prepared and identi-
fied by spectral methods (electronic absorption spec-
tra, fluorescence emission spectra, 1H NMR,
MALDI) copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of
2,7,12,17-tetraphenylporphycene ({H2(β-Ph)4Por},
compound I), analyzed their spectral properties, ther-
mal stability in solid state, and persistence in acid
solutions, studied electrochemical characteristics and
ability of the complexes to catalyze electrochemical
reduction of molecular oxygen.
EXPERIMENTAL
Copper(II) (Ia) and zinc(II) (Ib) complexes of
{H2(β-Ph)4Por} were synthesized by reacting ligand I
[10] with hundredfold excess of copper and zinc ace-
tates upon refluxing reaction mixture in DMF for 3 h.
Yield was 99% and 78%, respectively.
Porphycenes are considered to be promising com-
ponents of new materials for technology and medicine
[6, 7].
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