Intramolecular hydrogen bonding as a synthetic tool to induce chemical selectivity in acid catalyzed porphyrin synthesis

A straightforward procedure based on the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds to impart selectivity in the preparation of multi-functionalized porphyrins has been developed. To illustrate the concept, the synthesis of a biomimetic artificial photosynthetic model able to undergo electron and proton transfer reactions upon irradiation is reported.