Synthesis, Structures, and Properties of a Series of Four-, Five-, and Six-Coordinate Cobalt(III) Triazacorrole Complexes:  The First Examples of Transition Metal Corrolazines

The syntheses of the first transition metal corrolazine complexes, in which the meso carbon atoms of a corrole framework have been replaced by N atoms, are reported. Metalation of the corrolazine [(TBP)(8)CzH(3)] (TBP = 4-tert-butylphenyl) (1) with Co(acac)(2) gives [(TBP)(8)CzCo(III)] (2) in good yield. Addition of PPh(3) to 2 in pyridine results in the formation of [(TBP)(8)CzCo(III)(PPh(3))] (3), which was characterized by X-ray crystallography. Likewise, addition of an excess of pyridine to 2 in CH(2)Cl(2) followed by slow diffusion of MeOH gives [(TBP)(8)CzCo(III)(py)(2)] (4) as a crystalline solid, which was also characterized by X-ray crystallography. The crystal structures of 3 and 4 reveal that the corrolazine cavity is significantly smaller ( approximately 0.1 A) than their regular corrole analogues. Characterization of 2-4 by UV-vis spectroscopy reveals some interesting features in the absorption spectra of these compounds, including a dramatic red-shift of the Soret band. In addition, binding of pyridine to 2 was evaluated quantitatively by UV-vis titration, revealing a formation constant of beta(2) = 9.0 x 10(7) M(-)(2), which is larger than any of the regular Co(III) corrole analogues.