Edited by
J.L. Sessler
S.J. Weghorn, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712, USA
Description
The porphyrins are a class of naturally-occurring macrocycles and are ubiquitous in our world. As such, they have been called the Pigments
of Life. This auspicious designation reflects their importance in numerous biological functions. Indeed, life as we understand it relies
on the full range of biological processes that are either performed by or catalyzed by porphyrin-containing proteins. Chlorophyll-containing
photosynthetic reaction centers in plants, for instance, convert light energy into chemical energy while producing oxygen along the way.
It is this oxygen, evolved from photosynthesis, that is transported, stored, and reduced by heme-containing proteins in many organisms,
including mammals. Not surprisingly, therefore, these molecules remain of fundamental interest to chemists and biochemists. Indeed, they
continue to be intensely investigated by researchers world-wide.
Inspired by the importance of the porphyrins, a new research direction
has emerged in recent years that is devoted to the preparation and study of non-porphyrin polypyrrole macrocycles. Here, the principal
objectives have been to generate completely synthetic systems that bear some structural resemblance to naturally-occurring porphyrin
derivatives while being quite different in their specific chemical makeup. Within this context, three different research directions have
evolved, namely those involving the syntheses of contracted, isomeric, and expanded porphyrins, respectively. It is the chemistry of
these systems that is the subject of this book. Because of the newness of the field, the emphasis of this book will be on synthesis and
characterization (all work on porphyrin isomers and much of that associated with expanded porphyrins has only appeared in the last 10
years). One chapter on applications has, however, been included. Also, in the context of the preparative portions of the text, some efforts
have been made to explain why various porphyrin analogue targets are of interest.
Included in series
Tetrahedron Organic Chemistry
Audience:
For organic chemists, medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical company researchers, university and industrial researchers, graduate students.
