Porphyrins fused to N -heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) 1M , with inner metal M = Ni, Cu, Zn and H2, were used to synthesize palladium(II) complexes. These complexes behaved as precatalysts for high-temperature Mizoroki–Heck reactions between iodobenzene and styrene. Despite similar electronic properties between 1M ligands, catalytic activity was found to significantly depend on the presence, or not, of a central metal incorporated in the porphyrin core: a conversion of iodobenzene between 80–90% was observed with metalloporphyrins (M = Ni, Cu and Zn), whereas only 30% was observed with free-base porphyrins (M = H2) after 10 h. Palladium leaching and subsequent trapping of free palladium in the inner core of the free-base porphyrin modified the concentration of Pd(0) active species and may explain the lower catalytic activity observed.

Diazachlorin and diazabacteriochlorin have been prepared through reduction of diazaporphyrin and their in vitro and in vivo activity in photodynamic therapy has been investigated.

Oxime ligation allowed the preparation of a set of iminosugar clusters from which new Jack bean α-mannosidase inhibitors were identified.