Porphyrin Silanes

Porphyrin silanes (PorSils) are a unique class of metalloporphyrins that contain a hexacoordinate silicon center. This review chronicles the comprehensive body of research on PorSils to-date, beginning with their first discovery in 1967 by Boylan and Calvin. In the intervening five-plus decades, the synthesis of PorSils have been varied and optimized. PorSils possessing a variety of substituents - both axial and peripherally - have been reported; such functionalization can impact the properties with electronic and/or steric influence. We explore the structural, physical, electronic, and spectral attributes of PorSils, outlining and comparing this data. The unique properties of PorSils have widened the scope for the applications of metalloporphyrins: researchers have reported the use of PorSils for GC/MS analysis, electric and photoelectric applications, dual luminophores for pressure and oxygen sensing, photocatalysis, and photodynamic therapy. This review provides the first comprehensive summary of the development of PorSils, their unique features, and their contribution to the field of porphyrin chemistry. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.