Russian Chemical Bulletin, International Edition, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 638640, April, 2001 638 1066-5285/01/5004-638 $25.00 ©2001 Plenum Publishing Corporation Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 613615, April, 2001. Structural features of sublimed layers of meso-mono-4-pyridyltriphenylporphyrinatocobalt(II) and reversible binding of molecular oxygen T. S. Kurtikyan, a,b« G. G. Martirosyan, b R. K. Kazaryan, c and V. N. Madakyan c a Armenian Institute of Applied Chemistry, 70 prosp. Bagratunyats, 375005 Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. Fax: +7 (885 2) 23 2145. E-mail: tkurt@msrc.am b Research Center of Molecular Structure of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, 26 prosp. Azatutyana, 375014 Yerevan, Republic of Armenia c M. Geratsi Medical State University, 375025 Yerevan, Republic of Armenia The interaction of oxygen with sublimed layers of meso-monopyridyltriphenylporphyrina- tocobalt(II) (CoMPyTPP) was studied by electronic absorption and IR spectroscopy. The reversible binding of O 2 to the axial 5-position was shown for the freshly sublimed layers: the 6-position can either be free, or occupied by the pyridyl group of the adjacent molecule in the layer. The concentration of the complexes of the first type decreases to zero with time, whereas that of the second type complexes increases. The binding of oxygen on the sublimed layers of CoMPyTPP differs substantially from that on meso-tetraphenylporphyrinatocobalt(II) and meso-tet- ra-3(4)-pyridylporphyrinatocobalt(II), which loose their capability of O 2 binding with time. Key words: meso-monopyridyltriphenylporphyrinatocobalt(II), sublimed layers, oxygen binding, IR spectroscopy, electronic absorption spectroscopy. The capability of chelate Co II complexes of oxygen binding evoked an interest to search for the systems, which retain the capability of oxygen fixation for a long time. 1 Some metalloporphyrins are known as efficient oxygen carriers and promising adsorbents of oxygen, 2 artificial hemoglobin, 3 and oxygen-permselective membranes. 4 Thin porphyrin layers can be used in photovoltaic cells, 5 gas sensors, 6 and heterogeneous catalytic systems. 7,8 The studies of sublimed layers of cobalt(II) meso-tetra- phenylporphyrinate (CoTPP) 9 and structurally similar cobalt(II) meso-tetra-4(3)-pyridylporphyrinates (CoT4PyP and CoT3PyP) 10,11 showed that on storing at room temperature the films loose the ability to bind Î 2 . According to the spectral data, the CoT4PyP and CoT3PyP layers slowly loose the ability to bind oxygen because they form saturated complexes with coordina- tion number 6 due to the interaction of the metal ions with the pyridyl groups of adjacent molecules. It could be expected that a decrease in the number of pyridyl groups in the meso-positions of the porphyrin macrocycle decreases the probability of formation of these structures and improves the oxygen-binding affinity of the layer. In this work, we synthesized cobalt(II) meso-mono-4- pyridyltriphenylporphyrinate (CoMPyTPP) and studied the ability of its sublimed layers obtained under different conditions to bind oxygen. Experimental ÑîÌÐóÒÐÐ samples were synthesized using the method of mixed aldehydes. 12 Sublimed layers were obtained on supports of an optical cryostat, which were stored at either 77 K or room temperature according to a published procedure. 9 To obtain the layers with a thickness convenient for IR spectral studies, sublimation was performed for 3 h, and for recording electronic absorption spectra (EAS), it took up to tens of min. Thoroughly dried and pre-cooled oxygen was slowly fed to a cryostat from a vessel attached to a mercury gauge for measurements of the Î 2 pressure (60 Torr at temperatures of the support near the temperature of liquid nitrogen). Then the sublimed layer was stored for 30 min while the temperature was alternated in the following sequence: 80 120 80 Ê, oxygen was pumped out, and electronic or IR spectra were recorded. IR spectra were recorded on a Specord M-80 spectropho- tometer. The spectral width of the gaps was 4 cm 1 . Electronic absorption spectra were measured on a Specord M-40 spectro- photometer. Results and Discussion Figure 1 presents the IR spectra of the ÑîÌÐóÒÐÐ layer recorded after this layer was first sublimed on a support cooled with liquid nitrogen and then stored at 60 Torr Î 2 . As can be seen in Fig. 1, introduction of O 2 results in the appearance of two new absorption bands at 1250 and 1167 cm 1 . After the support was heated to room temperature, both bands disappear and the initial spectrum is restored. On admission of new portions of Î 2 , these bands appear again, but the intensity of the low-frequency band increases at the expence of the high-frequency band. Introduction of O 2 on the layer stored for 1 day at room temperature gives the spectrum with the band at 1250 cm 1 decreased and with the band