Effects of Substituents on Synthetic Analogs of Chlorophylls. Part 2: Redox Properties, Optical Spectra and Electronic Structure

The optical absorption spectra and redox properties are presented for 24 synthetic zinc chlorins and 18 free base analogs bearing a variety of 3,13 (β) and 5,10,15 (meso) substituents. Results are also given for a zinc and free base oxophorbine, which contain the keto‐bearing isocyclic ring present in the natural photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll a. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to probe the effects of the types and positions of substituents on the characteristics (energies, electron distributions) of the frontier molecular orbitals. A general finding is that the 3,13 positions are more sensitive to the effects of auxochromes than the 5,10,15 positions. The auxochromes investigated (acetyl > ethynyl > vinyl > aryl) cause a significant redshift and intensification of the Qy band upon placement at the 3,13 positions, whereas groups at the 5,10,15 positions result in much smaller redshifts that are accompanied by a decrease in relative Qy intensity. In addition, the substituent‐induced shifts in first oxidation and reduction potentials faithfully track the energies of the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO), respectively. The calculations show that the LUMO is shifted more by substituents than the HOMO, which derives from the differences in the electron densities of the two orbitals at the substituent sites. The trends in the substituent‐induced effects on the wavelengths and relative intensities of the major features (By, Bx, Qx, Qy) in the near‐UV to near‐IR absorption bands are well accounted for using Gouterman’s four‐orbital model, which incorporates the effects of the substituents on the HOMO−1 and LUMO+1 in addition to the HOMO and LUMO. Collectively, the results and analysis presented herein and in the companion paper provide insights into the effects of substituents on the optical absorption, redox and other photophysical properties of the chlorins. These insights form a framework that underpins the rational design of chlorins for applications encompassing photomedicine and solar‐energy conversion.

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