The reaction of porphyrins with organolithium reagents

Porphyrins react readily with organolithium reagents, preferentially in the meso positions. The overall reaction is a nucleophilic substitution and proceeds via initial reaction of the organic nucleophile with a meso carbon yielding an anionic species which is hydrolyzed to a porphodimethene (5,15-dihydroporphyrin), formally constituting an addition reaction to two Cm positions. Subsequent oxidation with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) yields meso-substituted porphyrins. The reaction is highly versatile as it is accomplished in high, often quantitative yields with various alkyl or aryl lithium reagents. In addition, LiR can be used for reaction with a variety of metal complexes (best with NiII, but also with ZnII, CuII, and CoII) and most useful with free base porphyrins. Similarly beneficial this reaction can be used in sequence for the introduction of 1, 2, 3, or 4 (different) meso substituents giving for the first time an entry into any desired meso-substituted porphyrin. If meso-substituted porphyrins are used, reaction with LiR can be used for either the preparation of phlorins (already known reaction), porphodimethenes (5,15-dihydroporphyrins, including those with exocyclic double bonds, for example, 5(1),5(2)-didehydroporphyrins) or chlorins (2,3-dihydroporphyrins) depending on the substituent type in the reactant porphyrins. Thus, this reaction presents a generally applicable method for the facile and versatile functionalization of porphyrins.