Facile Peripheral Modification of N-Confused Porphyrin

An improved methodology for the N-alkylation of the porphyrin isomer N-confused porphyrin is presented. The combination of polar solvent conditions and the use of the base Cs2CO3 affords externally modified products in high yield without separation difficulties and without the use of large excesses of alkylating reagent. The further transformation and metalation of these products provides opportunities for the construction of metalloenzyme model complexes, peptide adducts, and chromophore assemblies.