New Porphyrin Isomers

Examples of only the second known man-made isomer of porphyrin (1, Ar = C6H5, C6H4CH3) have recently been prepared by two groups working independently on opposite sides of the globe. These groups, led by L. Latos-Grażyński and H. Furuta, have shown that this isomer displays characteristics expected for a porphyrin while still possessing new properties that promise interesting chemistry.