Boron(III) has been inserted into N-confused porphyrin, (
NCP
H)H
2 (
1), and N-fused porphyrin, (
NFP)H (
2). Thereaction of dichlorophenylborane and
1 yields
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BORDER=
0 >-phenylboron N-confused porphyrin (
4). The boron atom is boundby two pyrrolic nitrogen atoms and the
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0 >-phenyl ligand. The N-confused pyrrole ring is not involved in the directcoordination because the C(21)-H fragment remains intact. A reaction between PhBCl
2 and N-fused porphyrinproduces
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0 >-phenylboron N-fused porphyrin (
3+).
4 converts quantitatively into
3+ under protonation. In
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0 >-phenylboron
N-fused porphyrin [(
NFP)BPh]Cl, the coordinating environment of boron(III) resembles a distorted trigonal pyramid,with the nitrogen atoms occupying equatorial positions and with the phenyl ligand lying at the unique apex. Boron(III)is displaced by
0.547(4) Å from the N
3 plane. The B-N distances are as follows: B-N(22), 1.559(4) Å; B-N(23),1.552(4) Å; B-N(24), 1.568(4) Å; B-C
ipsoPh, 1.621(4) Å.
3+ can be classified as a boronium cation considering afilled octet and a complete coordination sphere.
3+ is susceptible to alkoxylation at the inner C(9) carbon atom,yielding
5-OR. The addition of acid results in protonation of the alkoxy group and elimination of alcohol, restoringthe original
3+. Density functional theory has been applied to model the molecular and electronic structure of
4,
3+, and syn and anti isomers of methoxy adducts
5-OMe.