Grafting Copper and Gallium Corroles onto Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Two different copper and gallium arylcorroles have been functionalized using the Vilsmeier–Haack reaction. A further Knoevenagel reaction with cyanoacetic acid was performed on both complexes, affording the desired products with yields above 90 %. The newly synthesized compounds have been thoroughly characterized by a combination of spectroscopic methods, optical analyses, and X‐ray crystallography. Moreover, they have been tested as anchoring groups for the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. The morphology of the heterogeneous composites has been studied by SEM, EDS and fluorescence microscopy analyses, thus confirming the presence of the corrole macrocycle in the hybrid material. A new class of corrole complexes bearing a cyanoacetic moiety at the β‐position was obtained in excellent yields through a Knoevenagel reaction. The newly prepared compounds were thoroughly characterized and the peripheral carboxylic moiety was used as an anchoring group in the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles.