Diverse reactivity of rhodium β-(tetraphenyl)tetraphenyl porphyrin chlorides with benzonitrile: formation of Rh porphyrin arene and imine complexes

The reaction of rhodium trichloride with β-(tetraphenyl)tetraphenyl porphyrin, H2(tpp)(Ph)4, and β-(tetraphenyl)tetrakismesityl porphyrin, H2(tmp)(Ph)4, in refluxing benzonitrile gave novel rhodium porphyrin chlorides, m-cyanophenyl and imine complexes. The m-cyanophenyl and imine complexes were formed from chloride complexes by arene CH activation via electrophilic aromatic substitution and reductive nucleophilic addition with the solvent benzonitrile.