10.1016/j.dyepig.2015.03.006
The research focuses on the synthesis, optical properties, and protonation of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) derivatives that have a 2-(2/3/4-pyridyl)ethenyl group at the C3 position. The derivatives were synthesized using the Wittig reaction on methyl pyropheophorbide-d, which involved reactants such as 2/3/4-(chloromethyl)pyridine hydrochloride and triphenylphosphine. The resulting olefins were then subjected to catalytic hydrogenation using PtO2 in a mixed solvent of acetone and ethanol to yield the corresponding regioisomers. The optical properties of these derivatives were analyzed using visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectra, with the longest wavelength (Qy) maxima shifting bathochromically based on the linker between the chlorin and pyridyl moieties. Protonations were conducted by titrating the synthetic chlorophyll-pyridine conjugates with trifluoroacetic acid in chloroform, and the resulting visible spectral changes indicated the order of protonation. The analyses included the determination of association constants, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.