The neighboring effect of two adjacent heteroatoms influences the structures and properties of heterocyclic compounds. Herein, we demonstrated that the introduction of two adjacent sp2 nitrogen atoms into a porphyrinic skeleton significantly enhanced its Brønsted basicity due to the repulsive interaction between two lone pairs on the nitrogen atoms. Palladium- and copper-templated ring closure of dichlorobis(dipyrrin) with hydrazine hydrate provided meso-diazacorrphycene palladium and copper complexes in good yields. The structural, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of the diazacorrphycene complexes were investigated experimentally and theoretically to elucidate the effect of the meso-nitrogen atoms.
Keywords: aromaticity; basicity; neighboring effect; nitrogen; porphyrinoid.
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