Benzene-crosslinked hexaphyrin: Molecules of benzene in hexaphyrin

Two blueish materials were obtained in the acid-catalyzed condensation of 5-pentafluorophenyldipyrromethane-1,9-bis{(petafluorophenyl)-methanol} with 4,8-dihydro-4,8-ethanopyrrol[3,4-[Formula: see text]]isoindole followed by oxidation, although the yields were low. Their structures were unambiguously determined by the X-ray analysis. One was ethylene-connected bisdipyrromethene and another was bicyclo[2.2.2]octene-crosslinked dihydrohexaphyrin, which was gradually transformed to benzene-crosslinked hexaphyrin under air in solution via bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene-crosslinked hexaphyrin. The benzene-crosslinked hexaphyrin was directly obtained in the similar acid-catalyzed condensation procedure of the dipyrromethane with 4,8-dihydropyrrol[3,4-[Formula: see text]]isoindole, although the yield was also low.