Patent ID: 6958389

Claim:
A process for preparing a tetraphenylbacteriochlorin derivative (I) represented by the following formula: where R′ is a residue of a monosaccharide represented by the formula: where R is a hydrogen atom, or its salt comprising the steps of: i) reacting a pyrrole with a benzaldehyde derivative represented by the formula (III): in the presence of a metal compound containing a metal selected from the group I transition metals of the periodic table of elements, to obtain a tetraphenylporphyrin derivative represented by the formula (IV): where M represents a metal selected from the group I transition metals of the periodic table and R′ is as defined above, and its salt; ii) demetallizing the resulting tetraphenylporphyrin derivative (IV) and its salt to obtain a tetraphenylporphyrin derivative represented by the formula (V): where R′ is as defined above, and its salt; and iii) reducing the tetraphenylporphyrin derivative of formula (V) with a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of hydrazone, semicarbane and p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide to obtain a tetraphenylbacteriochiorin derivative (I) or its salt.