3,6,13,16-Tetrapropylporphycene: Rational Synthesis, Complexation, and Halogenation

Abstract

We have designed and synthesized 3,6,13,16-tetrapropylporphycene for the first time as its alkyl analogue from ethyl 4-propyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate. The substituent effect was found to be more intense than reported positional isomeric tetrapropylporphycenes. The freebase porphycene exhibited moderate fluorescence and complexation ability with divalent metal ions, including Zn(II), which displayed an enhanced emission quantum yield (∼30%). The Pd(II) complex and freebase β-tetrabromoporphycene generated singlet oxygen efficiently (75 and 51%, respectively) and, hence, may find application as potential photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy.