Nucleophilic substitution of meso-nitrooctaethylporphyrins

Abstract

Nitrooctaethylporphyrins readily undergo nucleophilic aromatic substitution in the presence of HCl or HBr. In the presence of methoxide, nucleophilic addition to give a porphodimethane occurs, followed by autoxidation to the methoxyporphyrin. Unlike the nitrated complexes, the chlorosubstituted porphyrins exhibit redox potentials similar to those of unsubstituted analogs. Meso-halogenated porphyrins do, however, show steric distortion due to the bulk of the halogen atoms.