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Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Developing Photosensitizer-Cobaloxime Hybrids for Solar-Driven H2 Production in Aqueous Aerobic Conditions
Published on: October 5, 2019
"π-Hole-π" Interaction Promoted Photocatalytic Hydrodefluorination via Inner-Sphere Electron Transfer
Jingzhi Lu1, Navneet S Khetrapal1, Jacob A Johnson1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States.
Abstract:
We describe a metal-free, photocatalytic hydrodefluorination (HDF) of polyfluoroarenes (FA) using pyrene-based photocatalysts (Py). The weak "π-hole-π" interaction between Py and FA promotes the electron transfer against unfavorable energetics (ΔGET up to 0.63 eV) and initiates the subsequent HDF. The steric hindrance of Py and FA largely dictates the HDF reaction rate, pointing to an inner-sphere electron transfer pathway. This work highlights the importance of the size and shape of the photocatalyst and the substrate in controlling the electron transfer mechanism and rates as well as the overall photocatalytic processes.
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