Metalation chemistry of meso-aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins

meso-Aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins are structural analogues of meso-aryl-substituted porphyrins. They exhibit rich and novel coordination behaviors, including multi-metal chelation due to the large cavities, spin-spin interaction arising from the proximity of metal centers, and large changes in their structural and electrochemical properties upon metalation. The recent discovery of a facile, one-pot synthesis of a series of meso-aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins enables us to investigate their metal-complexation chemistry. The aim of this Microreview is to highlight recent progress in the synthesis and characterization of metal complexes of meso-aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins.