One of the major challenges of modern chemistry, homogeneous aerobic oxidations, poses the additional challenge of designing suitable catalysts that are not only active, but resist self-oxidation as well. For transition metal complexes, this of 3, a dose of 5 mmol kg À1 induced 60 % regression. [18] These results suggest that the introduction of bulky perfluoroalkyl groups results in higher tumor regression at lower photosensitizer doses; the molecular and pharmacological reasons for the differences between 2 and 3 in vivo remain to be elucidated.In summary, our results provide a simple (classical) yet efficient approach to nonplanar perhalogenated phthalocyanines, of which [F 64 PcZn] is only the first representative. Other metals and R F groups will yield compounds with a diversity of size, shape, and depth of fluorinated cavities around a reactive metal center. Their thermal, photochemical, and chemical stability, coupled with their potential synthetic versatility and favorable solubility, suggest that this class of molecules might be effective for photophysical, chemical, and perhaps, medical uses. Applications requiring stability under harsh conditions and/or aggressive reagents, or solubility in nonconventional solvents might be considered.
Experimental Section2: A mixture of zinc acetate (0.123 g, 0.668 mmol) and 1, (1.337 g, 2.67 mmol) was heated under Ar at 180 8C for 60 min. Chromatography on silica gel using 20 ± 30 % acetone/hexanes, followed by diffusion of hexanes into an acetone solution gave crystalline 2 in 21 % yield; m.p. > 300 8C; FAB MS [m/z] 2064.84 [M ]. Elemental analysis: calcd (%) for 13 C NMR (100.613 mHz, [D 6 ]acetone): d 154.6, 152.0, 130.9, 121.5, 117.5, 95.2. UV/Vis [nm] (log e), acetone, 322 (4.38), 396 (4.56), 620 (4.42), 686 (5.24).Biological tests: Suspensions of 2 or 3 in 10 % CRM (CRM cremofor) were administered intravenously. The tumors were illuminated with 650 ± 700 nm light (1 kW Xenon lamp, LL650 and LS700 filters) at fluence rates of 200 mW cm À2 , 400 J cm À2 per tumor. Absence of a palpable tumor three weeks post irradiation was considered regression.