Structure and photochemistry of nitrocobalt(III) tetraphenylporphyrin with axial triphenylphosphine in toluene solutions.

Thermal and photochemical reactions of nitroaquacobalt(III) tetraphenylporphyrin, (NO(2))(H(2)O)Co(III)TPP, have been investigated in toluene solutions containing triphenylphosphine, P phi(3). It is found that Pphi(3) thermally abstracts an oxygen atom from the NO(2) moiety of (NO(2))(H(2)O)Co(III)TPP with a rate constant 0.52 M(-1) s(-1), resulting in the formation of nitrosylcobalt porphyrin, (NO)CoTPP. The 355-nm laser photolysis of (NO(2))(H(2)O)Co(III)TPP at low concentrations of P phi(3) (<1.0 x 10(-4) M) gives Co(II)TPP and NO(2) as intermediates. The recombination reaction of Co(II)TPP and NO(2) initially forms the coordinately unsaturated nitritocobalt(III) tetraphenylporphyrin, (ON-O)Co(III)TPP, which reacts with P phi(3) to yield nitro(triphenylphosphine)cobalt(III) tetraphenylporphyrin, (NO(2))(P phi(3))Co(III)TPP. Subsequently, the substitution reaction of the axial P phi(3) with H(2)O leads to the regeneration of (NO(2))(H(2)O)Co(III)TPP. From the kinetic studies, the substitution reaction is concluded to occur via a coordinately unsaturated nitrocobalt(III) porphyrin, (NO(2))Co(III)TPP. At higher concentrations of P phi(3) (>4 x 10(-3) M), (NO(2))(H(2)O)Co(III)TPP reacts with P phi(3) to form (NO(2))(P phi(3))Co(III)TPP: the equilibrium constant is obtained as K = 4.3. The X-ray structure analysis of (NO(2))(P phi(3))Co(III)TPP reveals that the P-Co-NO(2) bond angle is 175.0(2) degrees and the bond length Co-NO(2) is 2.000(7) A. In toluene solutions of (NO(2))(H(2)O)Co(III)TPP containing P phi(3) (>4 x 10(-3) M), the major light-absorbing species is (NO(2))(P phi(3))Co(III)TPP, which yields (NO)CoTPP by continuous photolysis. The laser photolysis of (NO(2))(P phi(3))Co(III)TPP gives Co(II)TPP, NO(2), and P phi(3) as initial products. The NO(2) molecule is suggested to be reduced by P phi(3) to yield NO, and the reaction between NO and Co(II)TPP gives (NO)CoTPP. The quantum yield for the photodecomposition of (NO(2))(P phi(3))Co(III)TPP is determined as 0.56.