Synthesis of Ring-Fluorinated Porphyrins and Reconstitutional Myoglobins with Their Iron Complexes

The total syntheses of monofluoroporphyrin derivatives from monofluoropyrroles and the reconstitution of synthetic heme into sperm-whale myoglobin are described. The heme orientation in a cavity of the protein was determined by 1H and 19F NMR studies. It is noted that a fluoro substituent was found to be a useful probe for studying the heme-protein interaction.