Abstract
Janus bis(N-heterocyclic carbenes) composed of a porphyrin core with two N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) heads fused to opposite pyrolles were used as bridging ligands for the preparation of metal complexes. We first focused our attention on the synthesis of gold(I) chloride complexes [(NHC)AuCl] and investigated the subsitution of the chloride ligand by acetylides to obtain the corresponding [(NHC)AuCCR] complexes. Polyacetylides were then used to obtain molecular multiporphyrinic systems with porphyrins fused to only one NHC ligand, while main-chain organometallic polymers (MCOPs) were obtained when using Janus porphyrin bis(NHCs). Interestingly, MCOPs incorporating zinc(II) porphyrins proved to be efficient as heterogeneous photocatalysts for the generation of singlet oxygen upon visible light irradiation.