Synthesis, Structure, Spectral and Redox Properties of Phenoxazine Embedded Heteroporphyrins

A series of phenoxazine embedded heteroporphyrins containing one phenoxazine, two pyrroles and one heterocycle, such as furan, thiophene, selenophene and telluorophene, connected through four meso carbon atoms were synthesized by condensing one equivalent of phenoxazine-based tripyrrane with one equivalent of the appropriate 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl-p-tolyl) heterocycle under acid-catalyzed conditions, and their structure, spectral and electrochemical properties were compared with those of previously reported phenothiazine embedded heteroporphyrins. The X-ray crystal structure of the phenoxazine embedded selenoporphyrin revealed that the selenophene ring, which is opposite phenoxazine moiety, points outward from the macrocyclic core, and the phenoxazine unit deviated by an angle of 39.47° from the mean plane defined by the four meso carbons atoms. The replacement of the phenothiazine unit in phenothiazine embedded heteroporphyrins with a phenoxazine unit led to significant alteration of the electronic properties of the macrocycles, as reflected in their spectral and electrochemical properties. The absorption spectra of phenoxazine embedded heteroporphyrins showed bathochromically shifted absorption bands, hypsochromically shifted fluorescence bands with decent quantum yields, more facile oxidation and more difficult reduction as compared to the corresponding phenothiazine embedded heteroporphyrins. DFT and TD-DFT studies were in support of the experimental observations.