N-fused isophlorin 3 and its tautomeric phlorin forms 4 and 5, the new constitutional isomers of porphyrin which preserve the basic skeleton of their maternal N-fused porphyrin, have been identified in the course of investigation of phosphorus insertion into N-fused porphyrin 2. N-fused porphyrin reacts with PCl3 in toluene yielding phosphorus(V) N-fused isophlorin 3-P wherein the macrocycle acts as a trianionic tridentate ligand. The identical product has been formed in the reaction of N-confused porphyrin 1 and POCl3 or PCl3. The coordinating environment of phosphorus(V) in 3-P as determined by X-ray crystallography resembles a distorted trigonal pyramid with the nitrogen atoms occupying equatorial positions with the oxygen atom lying at the unique apex. Phosphorus(V) is significantly displaced by 0.732(1) A from the N3 plane. The P-N distances are as follows P-N(22) 1.664(2), P-N(23) 1.645(2), and P-N(24) 1.672(2). All P-N(pyrrolic) bond lengths are markedly shorter than the P-N distances in phosphorus porphyrins. 3-P is susceptible to proton addition at the inner C(9) carbon atom, yielding aromatic 4-P. The modified macrocycle acts as a dianionic ligand and allows the efficient 18 pi-electron delocalization pathway. Two stereoisomers affording the syn (4-P syn) and anti (4-P anti) location of the H(9) atom with respect to the oxygen atom of the PO unit have been identified by (1)H NMR. A regioselective reduction of free base N-fused porphyrin 2 with NaBH4 yielded a nonaromatic isomer of 4, that is, N-fused phlorin 5 due to an addition of a hydride to the C(15) carbon and a proton to one of the pyrrolic nitrogens. The isomer 5 reacts with PCl 3 yielding phosphorus(V) fused isophlorin 3-P. Density functional theory has been applied to model the molecular and electronic structure of porphyrin isomers 3, 4, and 5 and their phosphorus(V) complexes.

Boron(III) has been inserted into N-confused porphyrin, (NCPH)H2 (1), and N-fused porphyrin, (NFP)H (2). The reaction of dichlorophenylborane and 1 yields sigma-phenylboron N-confused porphyrin (4). The boron atom is bound by two pyrrolic nitrogen atoms and the sigma-phenyl ligand. The N-confused pyrrole ring is not involved in the direct coordination because the C(21)-H fragment remains intact. A reaction between PhBCl2 and N-fused porphyrin produces sigma-phenylboron N-fused porphyrin (3+). 4 converts quantitatively into 3+ under protonation. In sigma-phenylboron N-fused porphyrin [(NFP)BPh]Cl, the coordinating environment of boron(III) resembles a distorted trigonal pyramid, with the nitrogen atoms occupying equatorial positions and with the phenyl ligand lying at the unique apex. Boron(III) is displaced by 0.547(4) A from the N3 plane. The B-N distances are as follows: B-N(22), 1.559(4) A; B-N(23), 1.552(4) A; B-N(24), 1.568(4) A; B-C(ipsoPh), 1.621(4) A. 3+ can be classified as a boronium cation considering a filled octet and a complete coordination sphere. 3+ is susceptible to alkoxylation at the inner C(9) carbon atom, yielding 5-OR. The addition of acid results in protonation of the alkoxy group and elimination of alcohol, restoring the original 3+. Density functional theory has been applied to model the molecular and electronic structure of 4, 3+, and syn and anti isomers of methoxy adducts 5-OMe.

One extremely short and two relatively long BB bonds are found for the B3 ring of compounds 1 and 2. This characteristic of three‐membered, two‐electron double aromatic compounds was predicted as early as 1994 and has now been experimentally realized for the first time. A=SiMe3.

The first example of a diboryl corrole complex, [(BF2)2(Br8T(4-F-P)C)](-) (Br8T(4-F-P)C = trianion of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octabromo-5,10,15-tris(4-fluorophenyl)corrole), has been isolated using the strongly electron-withdrawing and sterically crowded triaryl octabromocorrole ligand. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the hydrolysis reaction producing the partially hydrolyzed complexes [B2OF2(Cor)](-) is more favored for the less sterically crowded triaryl corrole complexes. Monoboryl complexes BF2(H2Cor) (Cor = trianions of 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole (TPC), 5,10,15-tris(4-methylphenyl)corrole (T(4-CH3-P)C), 5,10,15-tris(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)corrole (T(4-CF3-P)C), and 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (TPFPC)) were prepared and characterized. The experimental data are consistent with an out-of-plane dipyrrin coordination mode for these complexes, and DFT optimizations suggest that internal BF···HN hydrogen bonding may be significant in stabilizing these complexes. Further examples of the anionic diboron corrole [B2OF2(Cor)](-) containing the electron-withdrawing 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (TPFPC) and the sterically hindered 10-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5,15-dimesitylcorrole (Mes2(4-MeOP)C) trianions are reported.

A two-electron aromatic bis(tris-trimethylsilylmethylene)-substituted tetraborane(4) was found to be a useful precursor for the synthesis of two-electron aromatic tetraboranes(6), triboracyclopropanates, as well as tetraboranes(6) distorted toward triboracyclopropanates with boryl bridges. Bishomo two-electron aromatics with a borata bridge and a protonated borata bridge, respectively, are also presented.