Purify it by chromatography on an Al2O3 column (300g/300mg of porphyrin) and elute with CH2Cl2, evaporate the eluate and crystallise the residue from CH2Cl2/MeOH, pyridine or CHCl3/pet ether(purple prisms, m > 300o) [Smith J Chem Soc Perkin Trans 1 1471 1972]. The copper salt crystallises as red needles from pyridine/AcOH. It complexes with metals. The dihydrobromide [69150-58-9] M 640.5 separates from aetioporphyrin I in Et2O on addition of 10% of aqueous HBr after 2days [Fischer & Treibs Justus Liebigs Ann Chem 457 241 1927, Treibs & Dieter Justus Liebigs Ann Chem 513 88-91 1934]. [Beilstein 26 III/IV 1915.]
