A convenient one-step synthesis of symmetrical 1,1′-dialkyl derivatives of isoindigo is described.

In the present work, the first data on the catalytic activity of d-metal complexes of petroleum porphyrins obtained via two-stage re-metallization (acid demetallization with subsequent metalation) of high-purity petroleum vanadyl porphyrins are presented. During acid demetallization of petroleum vanadyl porphyrins, the highest yield (49%) and spectral purity of free petroporphyrin bases were achieved with concentrated sulfuric acid and a diluted solution of vanadyl porphyrins in chloroform. In the series of divalent cations of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn, only the last four metals are complexed with demetallated petroporphyrins without significant changes in their component composition, whereas the interaction with Mn and Fe cations causes an evident structural transformation or even full degradation of petroporphyrin macrocycles, respectively. The composition and spectral purity of petroleum porphyrin-containing reactants and products were analyzed by FT-IR, UV-Vis, NMR, and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopic methods. The obtained petroporphyrin-based d-metal complexes were assayed by the reaction of 2-mercaptoethanol oxidative dimerization, in which the copper porphyrins exhibited the highest catalytic activity.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT ABSTRACT The reactivity of organonickel sigma-complex [NiBr(Mes)(bpy)], where Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine towards phenylphosphine (PhPH₂) has been investigated. It was found that this interaction leads to secondary mesitylphenylphosphine and dimesitylphosphine by formation of new carbon-phosphorus bond involving mesityl fragment of starting organonickel sigma-complex.