Porphyrins with exocyclic rings. Part 12. Synthesis of meso,β-butano- and meso,β-pentanoporphyrins from cycloalka[b]pyrroles

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(98)00327-5

Pyrroles 5 with b-face fused seven- or eight-membered carbocyclic rings were prepared in good yields by Knorr-type condensations with cycloheptanone or cyclooctanone, respectively. Treatment with lead tetraacetate in dichloromethane afforded the labile ω-acetates 8 and subsequent acid catalyzed condensation with α-unsubstituted pyrrole-2-carboxylates yielded the related pyrrolylcycloalka[b]pyrroles 29 and 30. The α-unsubstituted pyrroles 14 and 23 were prepared by condensing α,β-unsubstituted ketones, or their β-acetoxycarbonyl precursors, with benzyl N-tosylglycinate in the presence of DBU, followed by dehydration with POCl₃-pyridine and base catalyzed elimination of p-toluenesulfinic acid. Dipyrrole dibenzyl esters 29 and 30 were hydrogenolysed over 10% Pd-C to give the corresponding dicarboxylic acids. Acid catalyzed condensation with diformyldipyrrylmethane 33 under modified MacDonald '2 + 2' conditions afforded a series of four cycloalkanoporphyrins 4a-d with seven- or eight-membered exocyclic rings. Although the meso,β-butanoporphyrins 4a and 4b were isolated in good yields, poorer results were obtained for the related meso,β-pentanoporphyrin: 4c and 4d. It is proposed that the eight-membered carbocyclic ring distorts the geometry of the open-chain tetrapyrrolic intermediates and this deleterious influence results in the lower yields observed.