Synthesis and spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of pyrazine-or pyridine-ring-fused tetraazachlorins, bacteriochlorins, and isobacteriochlorins

Mixed condensation of tetramethylsuccinonitrile and either 2,3-dicyano-5,6-diethylpyrazine, 2,3-dicyanopyridine, or 3,4- pyridinedicarboximide in the presence of nickel chloride forms novel pyrazine-, 2, 3-pyridine-, or 3, 4-pyridine-ring-fused tetraazachlorin (TAC), tetraazabacteriochlorin (TABC), and tetraazaisobacteriochlorin (TAiBC) derivatives. All possible structural isomers were separated using repeated thin-layer chromatography and have been investigated by absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Similarly to previously reported TAC analogues, the TAC and TABC derivatives show large splitting of the Q band, while a single, intense absorption band is observed for the TAiBC derivatives. Although the absorption spectra are practically identical in shape for the separated structural isomers of TACs and TABCs, the Q-band maxima of the TAiBCs depend significantly on their structures. The observed spectroscopic properties were interpreted on the basis of electrochemical data and the results of (time-dependent) DFT calculations.