Porphine-like substances: III. Synthesis by electrical discharge

Abstract
Electrical discharge between an electrode connected to a Tesla coil and the surface of an aqueous suspension of a mixture of pyrrole and benzaldehyde produces porphine-like substances. Among others the compound α,β,γ,δ-tetraphenylporphine (TPP) has been identified by: 1. Separation of the compound by the thin layer chromatographic technique using silica gel and two percent xylene in benzene as adsorbent and developing mixture respectively. 2. Visible spectra of the base and of the zinc-chelate of the compound compared with the spectra of the reference TPP. Storage of the irradiated mixture either in benzene or as aqueous suspension increases the total yield. This increase is a function of time of storage. The results obtained in this set of experiments are similar to previously reported results in which Co-60 gamma, ultraviolet, and visible radiations were used as sources of energy. These results imply that the formation of porphine-like substances is abiogenically possible under primitive earth conditions.