2,6-Bis(porphyrin)-substituted pyrazine: a new class of supramolecular synthon binding to a transition-metal ion and fullerene (C60)

2,6-Disubstituted-3,5-dimethylpyrazines have been synthesized via biased acetal synthesis from symmetric 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(chloromethyl)pyrazine. The pyrazine ligands coordinated to trans-dichloropalladium(II) at the nitrogen whose neighboring carbons were connected to less hindered methyl groups. 2,6-Bis(porphyrin)-substituted pyrazine bound C60 to yield 1:1 inclusion complex. The binding of C60 with the pyrazine ligand and its zinc complex was determined by ESI-MS, NMR, and fluorescence spectroscopic analyses.