Toward carboxylate group functionalized A4, A2B2, A3B oxaporphyrins and zinc complex of oxaporphyrins

Series of new oxaporphyrins were isolated from the reaction of furan-1,4-diol, pyrrole, and an aldehyde under Lindsey’s conditions, which gives easy access to ester group functionalized oxaporphyrins. The ester substituents can be readily hydrolyzed to terminal carboxylic acid in the presence of KOH. The Zn(II) oxaporphyrins have been synthesized from the reaction of free base with ZnCl2 and fully characterized by variable temperature NMR, 2D NMR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.