Oxidized forms of
meso-octaethylporphyrinogencontaining mono- and bis(cyclopropane) units, whichfunction as shuttles of two electrons, form from the reaction ofhigh-valent, early transition metal halides, namely[
p-MeC
6H
4N
VCl
3](
2) and WOCl
4, with
meso-octaethylporphyrinogen-lithium derivatives,[Et
8N
4Li
4(THF)
4](
1).The reaction of
2 with
1 occurs in a 2:1ratio since the intermediate vanadium(V)-porphyrinogen complexundergoesa fast one-electron oxidation by
2 leading to[
p-MeC
6H
4N
V{Et
8N
4(
)}](
3), which contains a vanadium(IV)-nitrene fragment bound to the two-electron, oxidized form of theporphyrinogen having a cyclopropane unit. Thislatter can be reduced using Li metal to avanadium(IV)-porphyrinogen complex,[
p-MeC
6H
4N
V(Et
8N
4)Li
2(THF)
4}](
5), which was also synthesized from
1 and[(
p-MeC
6H
4N
VCl
2)
2](
4). In the reaction of WOCl
4, we foundthatthe tungsten(VI)-porphyrinogen complex forms first and is ableto oxidize the excess of
1, to give[Et
8N
4(
)Li
2(THF)
2] (
8) or the[Et
8N
4(
)
2Li(THF)]
+cation (
9B), depending on the stoichiometric ratio. Theformer formsalong with[Et
8N
4W=OLi(THF)
4](
7) when a WOCl
4:
1 ratio of 2:3 wasused. In the case of a 4:5 ratio,
9B wasisolated as a countercation of[Et
8N
4W=O]
- (
9A).The bis(cyclopropane) form of porphyrinogen becomesavailableby reacting
9 with NaBPh
4, thus forming[Et
8N
4(
)
2Li]
+BPh
4-(
11). The lithium derivatives,
8 and
11, are theoxidized forms of porphyrinogen available for synthesis. Thetungstenyl anion in
7 can be converted into theinorganicester [Et
8N
4WOC(O)Ph](
12) by reacting it with PhCOCl.