Issue in Honor of Dr. Rama Rao ARKIVOC 2005 (iii) 258-283 A density functional theory study on the porphyrin isomers: effect of meso-bridge length, relative stabilities, cis-trans isomerism M. Punnagai, B. Sateesh, and G. Narahari Sastry* Molecular Modeling Group, Organic Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India E-mail: gnsastry@iict.res.in Dedicated to Dr. A. V. Rama Rao on his 70th birthday (received 06 Dec 04; accepted 18 Feb 05; published on the web 03 Mar 05) Abstract B3LYP/6-311+G** calculations are employed to study the structures, stabilities of 1,2 (syn) and the 1,3 (anti) tautomeric forms of porphyrin isomers with varying meso-bridge lengths. A total of 46 structures obtained by considering the geometrical isomers of 1,2 (syn) and the 1,3 (anti) tautomeric forms, 44 were characterized as distinct minima on potential energy surface. Among the anti and syn tautomeric form the porphycene isomer 4a and 4a' is computed to be the most stable with a strong intramolecular hydrogen bonding. A –(CH)2– linker in Z form with significant p-delocalization and the E form isomers are somewhat distorted into bowl-like structure in order to avoid the steric repulsion between the inner protons. In the isomers with trimethine interpyrrole linker, the E forms 7b and 7b' are having lower energy than the Z form due to the unstrained bond angles in these isomers and the Z form is destabilized by severe bond angle. In isomer [4.0.0.0], which has connectivity with the maximum possible bipyrrolic, linkage Z isomer is having high energy this is due to possibly strained bonds that are directly connected to the pyrrole rings. Keywords: Porphyrin isomers, density functional theory, tautomerism, meso-bridges, minima Introduction The study of porphyrins and related compounds has been developed into a subject of interdisciplinary interest due to their importance and relevance spanning a range of fields such as chemistry, biology and medicine.1,2,3 Porphyrins with their extended p-electron networks and exhibit high stability and have displayed applications in advanced materials as components in organic metals and in photodynamic therapy in the treatment of cancer and dermotological ISSN 1424-6376 Page 258 ©ARKAT USA, Inc 0
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