Corroles, ring-contracted analogs of porphyrins, are an important class of compounds which have attracted the attention of many researchers in the fields of organic, coordination and physical chemistry. In the present work, the stability and the decomposition pathways of a diverse set of meso-substituted corroles have been studied using mass spectrometry (MS), UV-Vis absorption and preparative methods combined with NMR spectroscopy. Four different ionization methods (electrospray ionization, field desorption, atmospheric pressure photoionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) were utilized to investigate light- and oxygen-induced decomposition in various solvents. It was found that the rate of decomposition in MeCN is significantly higher than in CH(2)Cl(2), hexane, MeOH and ethyl acetate. HR-MS combined with CID-MS/MS enabled us to identify the products of initial decomposition. Surprisingly, numerous smaller open-chain compounds were also detected. Large-scale decomposition of a corrole bearing sterically hindered substituents at positions 5 and 15 allowed us to isolate mg quantities of three decomposition products: isocorrole and isomeric biliverdin-type species. These are formed as a result of oxygen attack on the meso-10 position.

A novel, mechanically interlocked molecular device was obtained from unique supramolecular tectons -pdeficient tetraazamacrocyclic complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II). We present the synthesis of the first rotaxanes based on donor-acceptor interactions involving transition metal complexes. While spontaneous shuttling manifests itself in the variability of the NMR spectra, voltammetric experiments reveal a surprising mode of potential-controlled molecular switching, which does not employ common co-conformational changes. Significantly, it relies on reversible folding/unfolding of the rotaxane. The process is driven by the interplay between electrostatic repulsion and cohesive p-p interactiona tug of war with a critical point at 1.31 V. Although rotaxanes with equivalent stations are considered degenerate molecular shuttles, we show that this is not the case when an unusual mechanism of switching is involved.

An unambiguous assignment of coupling pathways plays an important role in the description and rationalization of NMR indirect spin–spin coupling constants (SSCCs). Unfortunately, the SSCC analysis and visualization tools currently available to quantum chemists are restricted to nonrelativistic theory. Here, we present the theoretical foundation for novel relativistic SSCC visualization techniques based on analysis of the SSCC densities and the first-order current densities induced by the nuclear magnetic dipole moments. Details of the implementation of these techniques in the ReSpect program package are discussed. Numerical assessments are performed on through-space SSCCs, and we choose as our examples the heavy-atom Se–Se, Se–Te, and Te–Te coupling constants in three similar molecules for which experimental data are available. SSCCs were calculated at the nonrelativistic, scalar relativistic, and four-component relativistic density functional levels of theory. Furthermore, with the aid of different visualization methods, we discuss the interpretation of the relativistic effects, which are sizable for Se–Se, very significant for Se–Te, and cannot be neglected for Te–Te couplings. A substantial improvement of the theoretical SSCC values is obtained by also considering the molecular properties of a second conformation.