Synthetic Chlorins, Possible Surrogates for Chlorophylls, Prepared by Derivatization of Porphyrins

Chlorophylls make Earth green, are the central constituents in the engine of photosynthesis, and not surprisingly have garnered immense attention. A chlorin, the core chromophore of a chlorophyll, is a dihydroporphyrin macrocycle that contains one pyrroline ring and three pyrrole rings. The dominant method for the synthesis of chlorins has entailed the derivatization of porphyrins. The present review covers the ostensibly simple conversion of porphyrins, regardless of synthetic or biological origin, to chlorins. The period covered encompasses the entire history since the beginnings of chlorin synthetic chemistry in the early 20th century through 2015. Representative transformations include hydrogenation, cycloaddition, annulation, and diverse "breaking and mending" approaches. Altogether, the synthesis of >1000 chlorins or chlorin-like compounds (containing >50 distinct pyrroline motifs) is described. Such diversity animates the question "what structural features are essential for a chlorin to resemble chlorophyll?" To begin to address the structure-spectrum relationship, > 250 absorption spectra are provided for representative structures. The synthesis and spectral properties of the vast collection of compounds described herein are expected to illuminate the scope to which synthetic chlorins can serve as surrogates for chlorophylls and be exploited in diverse ways.