Organic Synthesis and Reactivity of Porphyrins

The synthesis and functionalization of porphyrins is a long-established but still burgeoning field. It has seen many advances, from studies on the fundamental natural heme and chlorophyll systems, to an ever-expanding array of complex tetrapyrroles that are used in a multitude of modern applications ranging from biochemistry to catalysis, medicine to materials science. This has been facilitated by significant progress in the preparation, modification, and transformation of the fundamental porphyrin macrocycle, bringing us to a point where, perhaps not all, but almost any desired porphyrin can be prepared in a rational manner. This is based on close to 10 000 publications to date on the synthetic organic chemistry of porphyrins, and this chapter gives a general overview of the current state-of-the-art methodologies that illustrate the fundamental concepts in porphyrin chemistry and will highlight contemporary studies with illustrative examples.