Homo- and heteronuclear meso,meso-(E)-ethene-1,2-diyl-linked diporphyrins: preparation, x-ray crystal structure, electronic absorption and emission spectra and density functional theory calculations.

Homo- and heteronuclear meso,meso-(E)-ethene-1,2-diyl-linked diporphyrins have been prepared by the Suzuki coupling of porphyrinylboronates and iodovinylporphyrins. Combinations comprising 5,10,15-triphenylporphyrin (TriPP) on both ends of the ethene-1,2-diyl bridge M(2)10 (M(2) =H(2)/Ni, Ni(2), Ni/Zn, H(4), H(2)Zn, Zn(2)) and 5,15-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)porphyrinato-nickel(II) on one end and H(2), Ni, and ZnTriPP on the other (M(2)11), enable the first studies of this class of compounds possessing intrinsic polarity. The compounds were characterized by electronic absorption and steady state emission spectra, (1)H NMR spectra, and for the Ni(2) bis(TriPP) complex Ni(2)10, single crystal X-ray structure determination.