Ranjan Patra

Switching orientation of two axial imidazole ligands between parallel and perpendicular in low-spin Fe(III) and Fe(II) nonplanar porphyrinates.

We have reported here the synthesis, structure, and properties of low-spin bis-imidazole-coordinated Fe(III) and Fe(II) complexes of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octachloroporphyrin, [Fe(III)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2)]ClO(4) and Fe(II)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2) (L = 1-methylimidazole, 4-methylimidazole, imidazole). The X-ray structure of Fe(II)(TFPPCl(8))(1-MeIm)(2) is reported here, which demonstrated the near-perpendicular axial ligand orientation (dihedral angle between two 1-methylimidazoles is 80.7°) for Fe(II) porphyrins in a highly saddle-distorted macrocyclic environment. Oxidation of Fe(II)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2) using thianthrenium perchlorate produces [Fe(III)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2)]ClO(4), which was also isolated in the solid state and characterized spectroscopically. The complex gives rhombic EPR spectra in both solid and solution phases at 77 K and thus represents a rare example of nearly parallel axial ligand orientations for the unhindered imidazoles in a saddle-distorted porphyrin macrocycle. Geometry optimization using DFT also converged to the parallel axial alignment when 1-methylimidazole was used as the axial ligand (the dihedral angle between two axial ligands is 8.6°). The potential energy surface (PES) scan results also show that the relatively parallel axial orientations are energetically preferred for Fe(III), while perpendicular orientations are preferred for the Fe(II) complexes reported here. Bulk oxidation of Fe(II)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2) in dichloromethane at a constant potential under nitrogen converts it to [Fe(III)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2)]ClO(4), which gives identical EPR spectra at 77 K and which upon reduction regenerates Fe(II)(TFPPCl(8))(L)(2) again. Thus, we have demonstrated here very rare examples of Fe porphyrins in which the relative axial imidazole orientations switch between parallel and perpendicular just upon changing the oxidation states of iron from +3 to +2, respectively, in a nonplanar porphyrinic environment. These observations could be immensely important for understanding the possible effects of axial histidine orientations on similar macrocyclic deformations observed in various heme proteins.

Axial ligand coordination in sterically strained vanadyl porphyrins: synthesis, structure, and properties.

A hitherto unknown family of six-coordinate vanadyl porphyrins of the sterically crowded, nonplanar 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-5,10,15,20-tetranitroporphyrin incorporating axial ligand L [where L is pyridine, tetrahydrofuran (THF), or methanol (MeOH)] has been isolated as VO(tn-OEP)(L) in the solid phase for the first time and also structurally characterized. The presence of four electron-withdrawing, bulky nitro groups at the meso positions of vanadyl octaethylporphyrins severely distorts the porphyrin macrocycles and significantly enhances the affinity for the axial ligands, where even weak sigma-donating ligands, such as MeOH, bind strongly enough to be isolable in the solid phase and that too under the offset effects of the macrocyclic distortions. Thus, the axial ligand affinity is influenced by both the electronic and conformational effect, which cannot be separated completely in this series. The solid-state magnetic measurements and their typical electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum show the presence of a single, unpaired electron, consistent with V(IV) formulation. The VO stretching frequency for VO(tn-OEP) occurs as a sharp, strong peak at 1008 cm(-1), which is consistent with five-coordinate vanadyl porphyrins, while VO(tn-OEP)(L) displays a strong band at lower wavenumbers. The downshift in nu(VO) upon axial coordination increases with increasing donor strength of the axial ligands; for pyridine, the downshift is 30 cm(-1), while for THF and MeOH, the downshifts are nearly 18 cm(-1). X-ray structure determinations authenticate axial coordination in a purely saddle-distorted porphyrin macrocycle for all of the complexes reported here in which V-Np distances are significantly shorter, while the porphyrin cores have been expanded on axial ligand coordination. As a result, vanadium atoms are more inplane than in a five-coordinate species. The binding of L does not change the spin or metal oxidation states (V(IV), d(1)-system) of the complexes; therefore, the changes observed are truly the reflections of axial ligand coordination. Electrochemical data obtained from cyclic voltammetric studies reveal that the complexes are much easier to reduce (by approximately 1200 mV) but more difficult to oxidize (by approximately 500 mV) as compared to nearly planar VO(OEP). The complexes undergo two one-electron oxidations due to pi-cation radical and dication formation and three one-electron reductions. The first two reductions are because of pi-anion radical and dianion formation, while the third quasi-reversible reduction is assigned to a metal-centered process (V(IV) --> V(III)). These results can be useful for identifying the interaction of the vanadyl porphyrins with the biological targets in their reported involvement in potent insulinomimetic activity and in anti-HIV agents.