Assessment of Conjugation Pathways in -Methylporphyrins that Are Fused to Acenaphthylene, Phenanthrene, or Pyrene: Evidence for the Presence of Alternative Aromatic Circuits.

Acenaphtho-, phenanthro-, and pyrenopyrrole esters, readily available from Barton-Zard reactions of ethyl isocyanoacetate with nitroarenes, were reacted with methyl iodide and KOH in DMSO to give -methylpyrroles and subsequent cleavage of the ester moieties was accomplished with KOH in ethylene glycol at 200 °C. Condensation with two equiv of an acetoxymethylpyrrole in refluxing acetic acid-2-propanol afforded a series of annulated tripyrranes. Cleavage of the terminal -butyl ester groups with trifluoroacetic acid, followed by condensation with a diformylpyrrole and oxidation with FeCl, gave -methyl acenaphtho-, phenanthro-, and pyrenoporphyrins.