Unusual regioselective mercuration of metalloporphyrins and its potential applications.

The reaction of Hg(CF3CO2)2 with metalloporphyrins produces mercurated porphyrins regioselectively, the reaction, surprisingly occurring at the most hindered betaB-position; this behavior is in marked contrast to the usual electrophilic substitution reactions of porphyrins, whose reactions produce meso-substituted porphyrins; the obtained mercurated porphyrins are active to transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions, such as the Mizoroki-Heck reaction.