Starting from methyl pheophorbide-a, the derivatives of δ-(2-formylvinyl)-chlorins were synthesized by Vilsmeier reaction. The nickel(II) methyl pheophorbide-a or nickel(II) methyl purpurin-18 reacted with 3-(dimethylamino)-acrolein/phosphoryl chloride to give nickel(II) δ-(2-formylvinyl)-purpurin-7-trimethyl ester or nickel(II) δ-(2-formylvinyl)-chlorin P₆ trimethyl ester. When nickel(II) purpurin-18 imide reacted with Vilsmeier agent, the deriva-tives of nickel(II) δ-(2-formylvinyl)-purpurin-18 imide were obtained. By treatment of the deriva-tives of nickel(II) δ-(2-formylvinyl)-chlorin with trifluoroacetic acid, the removal of central nickel(II) ion was accomplished. The derivatives of δ-(2-formylvinyl)-chlorin demonstrated a con-siderable bathochromic shift of the major absorption band in the red region of the optical spectrum. The maximal UV/vis absorption of δ-(2-formylvinyl)-purpurin-18 imide was 742 nm. The structures of all new compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, UV, IR, MS and ¹H NMR spec-tra.

Key words: purpurin-18 imide, purpurin-7-trimethyl ester, chlorine P₆ trimethyl ester, Vilsmeier reaction