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Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Heterogeneous Removal of Water-Soluble Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst from Aqueous Media Via Host-Guest Interaction
Published on: August 23, 2018
A polymerized ionic liquid-supported B12 catalyst with a ruthenium trisbipyridine photosensitizer for photocatalytic
Wei Zhang1, Hisashi Shimakoshi, Noriyuki Houfuku
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan. shimakoshi@mail.cstm.kyushu-u.ac.jp yhisatcm@mail.cstm.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Abstract:
By immobilizing a B12 complex and a Ru(ii) trisbipyridine photosensitizer in a polymerized ionic liquid (PIL), a visible light-driven photocatalyst was developed. The synthesized copolymer was characterized by GPC and DLS, and using UV-vis absorption spectra and luminescence spectra. The Ru(ii) trisbipyridine photosensitizer in the copolymer showed an enhanced emission compared to that of the monomer in the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-4-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([C4mim][NTf2]). Formation of the Co(i) species of the B12 complex in the copolymer was confirmed by the UV-vis spectral change in [C4mim][NTf2] containing a sacrificial reductant (triethanolamine) under irradiation with visible light. The copolymer showed a high photocatalytic activity in various ionic liquids for 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) dechlorination with ∼99% conversion after visible light irradiation for 2 h. Furthermore, both the B12 catalyst and photosensitizer in the polymer were easily recycled for use with the ionic liquid solvent without any loss of catalytic activity.
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