Singly and Doubly N-Confused Calix[4]phyrin Organoplatinum(II) Complexes as Near-IR Triplet Sensitizers.

Organoplatinum(II) complexes of calix[4]phyrin analogues, singly N-confused calix[4]phyrin (Pt-2), and doubly N-confused calix[4]phyrin (Pt-3), were synthesized and characterized. The explicit structures of these organoplatinum(II) complexes were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic studies. The introduction of N-confused pyrrole rings to the parent calix[4]phyrin scaffold was found to have profound effects on the photophysical properties, such as the bathochromic shifts of both the absorption and phosphorescence maxima. The triplet excited state properties of these platinum complexes were analyzed by DFT calculations at the B3LYP level. The organoplatinum(II) complexes derived from the deformed scaffolds can serve as potent triplet sensitizers for singlet oxygen generation under aerobic conditions.