Synlett 2008(14): 2147-2149  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1077899
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

A ‘Click’ Chemistry Route to ‘Capped’ Porphyrins

James E. A. Webb, Felicia Maharaj, Iain M. Blake, Maxwell J. Crossley*
School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Fax: +61(2)93516650; e-Mail: m.crossley@chem.usyd.edu.au;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 23 March 2008
Publication Date:
02 July 2008 (online)

Abstract

Synthesis of a new ‘capped’ porphyrin 3 with rigid 1,2,3-triazole linkers between the porphyrin and ‘capping’ group has been achieved. A ‘click’ reaction, the copper(I)-catalysed variant of the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, is used to create four linkages concomitantly under anhydrous conditions in N,N-dimethylformamide.

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Selected data for compound 4: mp 119-120 ˚C. ¹H NMR (200 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 8.15 (s, 2 H), 4.95 (d, J = 2.45 Hz, 8 H), 2.57 (t, J = 2.45 Hz, 4 H). ¹³C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 164.9, 133.9, 130.1, 76.7, 76.0, 53.8.

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Tetrahydrofuran-H 2 O Method for the Cycloaddition: To a stirred mixture of porphyrin 5 (65 mg) and Et3N (40 µL) in THF (100 mL) were added CuSO4˙5H2O (4 mg) and ascorbic acid (5 mg) dissolved in H2O (15 mL). Then a solution of tetraalkyne 4 in THF (35 mL) was added and the mixture was heated at reflux for 24 h. An additional portion of CuSO4˙5H2O (4 mg) and l-ascorbic acid (5 mg) in H2O
(5 mL) was added and refluxed for a further 6 h. The reaction was then filtered, evaporated to approximately 20 mL with CH2Cl2 (100 mL) and H2O (100 mL) added. The organic phase was collected and the aqueous phase was extracted with a mixture of MeOH and H2O (1:1, 2 × 100 mL). This was then dried over Na2SO4, filtered and evaporated. Purification on silica with 4% MeOH in H2O yielded capped porphyrin 3 in 19% yield.

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Selected data for compound 3: mp >300 ˚C. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 8.72 (s, 4 H), 8.68 (s, 4 H), 8.41 (br d, J = 7.6 Hz, 4 H, meso-aryl H6), 7.85 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 4 H, meso-aryl H3), 7.77 (br d, J = 7.6 Hz, 4 H, meso-aryl H4), 7.64 (br s, 4 H), 7.32 (s, 2 H), 7.08 (br s, 4 H, meso-aryl H2), 5.93 (A of ABq, J = 16.1 Hz, 4 H), 5.79 (B of ABq, J = 16.1 Hz,
4 H), 5.13 (A of ABq, J = 13.0 Hz, 4 H), 5.03 (B of ABq, J = 13.0 Hz, 4 H). MS (ESI): m/z [M + Na] calcd for C70H46N16O8Zn: 1325.3; found: 1325.4.

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Dimethylformamide Method for the Cycloaddition: To a stirred solution of 5 (45 mg), (NCCH3)4CuPF6 (4 mg) and Et3N (28 µL) in DMF (100 mL) was added 4 (20 mg). This was then put under nitrogen and stirred at 70 ˚C for 16 h. This was then added to a mixture of CH2Cl2 and EtOAc (1:1, 200 mL), washed with H2O (2 × 100 mL), and the organic phase was filtered and washed again with H2O (2 × 100 mL). The organic phase was then dried over Na2SO4, filtered and evaporated with the residue subjected to purification on silica, eluting capped porphyrin 3 in 14% yield.