Photoinduced electron transfer in porphyrin-quinone cyclophanes, 6. Porphyrin-quinone cyclophanes with gradually varied acceptor strength: Syntheses and characterizations

For studying intramolecular electron-transfer reactions, three groups of double- and single-bridged porphyrin-quinone cyclophanes 1–4, 5–9, and 11–14, resp., with gradual variation of quinone acceptor strengths were synthesized. As key intermediates for building up the porphyrin-cyclophane skeleton the correspondingly 3,6-substituted 1,4-bis[4-(2-formylphenyl)-butyl]-2,5-dimethoxybenzenes 15–20 were synthesized. Condensation with pyrrole yielded the doubly bridged porphyrin cyclophanes 42–45; via the bis(dipyrrolylmethyl) derivatives 46–51 and 64–67 the single-bridged porphyrin cyclophanes 58–63 and 72–75 were obtained by acidic condensation with triethyl formate. Cleavage of the methoxy groups and oxidation yielded the corresponding porphyrin-quinone systems. Some magnesium and zinc complexes of these cyclophanes are described. Spectroscopic data (MS, 1H NMR) are reported in support of the proposed structures