Copper(II) and oxovanadium(V) complexes of hexaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0.0)

A binuclear in-plane copper (II) complex and an oxovanadium (v) derivative were prepared and characterized for the expanded porphyrin hexapyrin (1.01.0.0.0) that coordinates both early and late transition metals. Copper acetate was added to the free base form of isoamethyrin leading to an immediate color change from dark yellow to red. Crystals suitable for x ray analysis were grown from a CH₂Cl₂/cyclohexane mixture after purification through column chromatography over neutral alumina. The macrocycle needs to distort slightly to fit the two copper atoms. The complexes contain very different metal centers and serve to show that isoamethyrin is able to stabilize two different transition metal coordination modes.