Synthesis, structure, and aromaticity of the nickel(II) complex of pyricorrole, a molecular hybrid of porphyrin and corrole.

Formal migration of one meso-carbon atom in the porphyrin ring into the pyrrole moiety results in an isomer "pyricorrole", a pyridine-containing corrole macrocycle. We prepared the nickel(II) complex of pyricorrole by the nickel(II)-induced cyclization of a linear precursor. Electronic absorption and proton NMR spectra of this compound revealed the presence of an 18π-electron circuit over the macrocycle, suggesting that aromaticity was retained after intensive rearrangement of the porphyrin core. X-ray crystallography of the nickel(II) complex confirmed the planar structure and demonstrated that it possesses hybrid properties of porphyrin and corrole.