β-Tetra-brominated meso-tetraphenylporphyrin: A conformational study and application to the Mn-porphyrin catalyzed epoxidation of olefins with tetrabutylammonium oxone

Abstract

X-ray crystallographic studies have shown that the free base β-tetra-brominated meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (H 2TPPBr 4) has a slightly ruffled structure with the dihedral angles of 70.1–79.2° between the phenyl groups and the porphyrin mean plane. The N(pyrrole)–N(pyrrolenine) distance is very similar to that of the standard planar porphyrins. The decreased N–H bond length of H 2TPPBr 4 with respect to that of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (H 2TPP) seems to be due to the weaker intramolecular hydrogen bond of the former relative to the latter caused by the electron-withdrawing effects of the β-bromine substituents. The large red shifts of the Soret and Q(0,0) bands of H 2TPPBr 4 in comparison with those of H 2TPP, in spite of the nearly planar porphyrin core of the compound, also may be explained on the basis of the electron-withdrawing effects of the bromine atoms. Oxidation of styrene, the para-substituted derivatives and cyclooctene with tetrabutylammonium oxone in the presence of catalytic amounts of β-tetra-brominated meso-tetraphenylporphyrinatomanganese(III) acetate immediately gives the epoxide as the sole product. Terminal double bonds and unconjugated ones are less reactive than the conjugated double bonds and show lower selectivities. Catalytic activity of the electron-deficient Mn(H 2TPPBr 4)OAc dramatically depends on the Co-catalytic activity of the nitrogen donors as the axial base. The best axial bases are the nitrogenous donors with mixed σ- and π-donor ability to the metal centre.