Synthesis and characterization of germanium, tin, phosphorus, iron, and rhodium complexes of tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole, and the utilization of the iron and rhodium corroles as cyclopropanation catalysts.

The germanium(IV), tin(IV). and phosphorus(v) complexes of tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole were prepared and investigated by electrochemistry for elucidation of the electrochemical HOMO-LUMO gap of the corrole and the spectroscopic characteristics of the corrole pi radical cation. This information was found to be highly valuable for assigning the oxidation states in the various iron corroles that were prepared. Two iron corroles and the rhodium(I) complex of an N-substituted corrole were fully characterized by X-ray crystallography and all the transition metal corroles were examined as cyclopropanation catalysts. All iron (except the NO-ligated) and rhodium corroles are excellent catalysts for cyclopropanation of styrene, with the latter displaying superior selectivities. An investigation of the effect of the oxidation state of the metal and its ligands leads to the conclusion that for iron corroles the catalytically active form is iron(III), while all accesible oxidation states of rhodium are active.