Synthesis of triple stranded porphyrin nanobelts
Molecular nanobelts are fascinating analogs of carbon nanotubes. Their rigid geometries and strongly coupled π-electrons have the potential to generate a wave function resembling that of a quantum ring. Here, we report the synthesis of triple stranded nanobelts consisting of 8 to 12 edge-fused porphyrin units with diameters of 21 to 32 angstroms. We synthesized these nanobelts by nickel-mediated coupling of <i>meso</i>-bromoporphyrins to form singly linked nanorings, followed by oxidation with gold(III) chloride. Experimental <sup>1</sup>H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, supported by computational simulations, revealed that belts containing odd numbers of porphyrins, with circuits of 90 or 110 π-electrons, display global aromatic ring currents, whereas even-numbered belts, with 80, 100, or 120 π-electrons, are globally antiaromatic.
Authors
- Wojciech Stawski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3799-0485)
- Arnau Rodríguez-Rubio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7435-2779)
- Janko Hergenhahn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1844-2734)
- Henrik Gotfredsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9559-7190)
- Matthew Edmondson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8738-606X)
- Joshua L. Field (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2840-099X)
- James N. O’Shea (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4687-7257)
- Harry L. Anderson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1801-8132)
- Alex Saywell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2242-3149)
- Igor Rončević (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2175-8059)
- He Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3240-1418)
- Prakhar Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5002-7592)
- Ka Man Cheung
- Joseph Straw
- Lene Gödde
Institutions
- University of Nottingham (GB)
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2025-10-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adz8900
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Porphyrin and Phthalocyanine Chemistry
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.11