Structural and magnetic effects of meso-substitution in alkyl-substituted metalloporphyrinate pi-cation radicals: characterization of [Fe(TalkylP*)(Cl)]SbCl6 (alkyl = ethyl and n-propyl).

We report the preparation and characterization of two meso-alkyl substituted porphyrin pi-cation radical derivatives, [Fe(TalkylP(*))(Cl)]SbCl(6) (alkyl = ethyl or propyl). Both complexes have been characterized by UV/vis/near-IR, IR, and Mossbauer spectroscopy, temperature-dependent solid-state magnetic susceptibility measurements, and X-ray structure determinations. All data for both oxidized species are consistent with the formulation of the complexes as ring-oxidized iron(III) porphyrin species. The molecular structures of the two five-coordinate species have the typical square-pyramidal coordination group of high-spin iron(III) derivatives. The crystal structures also reveal that the species form cofacial pi-pi dimers with lateral shifts of 1.44 A and 3.22 A, respectively, for the propyl and ethyl radical derivatives. Both radicals exhibit porphyrin cores with alternating bond distance patterns in the inner 16-membered ring. In addition, [Fe(TEtP(*))(Cl)]SbCl(6) and [Fe(TPrP(*))(Cl)]SbCl(6) have been characterized by temperature-dependent (6-300 K) magnetic susceptibility studies, the best fitting of the temperature-dependent moments reveal strong coupling between iron spins and porphyrin radical, and a smaller magnitude of antiferromagnetic coupling between ring radicals, which are opposite to those found in the five-coordinate iron(III) OEP radicals. The differences in structure and properties of the cation radical meso-alkyl and beta-alkyl derivatives possibly reflect differences in properties of a(1u)- and a(2u)-forming radicals.