Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 7, 2025

Efficient Synthesis of Polyfunctionalized Benzenes in Water via Persulfate-promoted Benzannulation of α,β-Unsaturated Compounds and Alkynes

Efficient Synthesis of Polyfunctionalized Benzenes in Water via Persulfate-promoted Benzannulation of α,β-Unsaturated Compounds and Alkynes

Published on: December 16, 2019

Metal-Catalyzed, Photo-Assisted Selective Transformation of Tertiary Alkylbenzenes and Polystyrenes into Carbonyl

Garazi Urgoitia¹, María Teresa Herrero¹, Raul SanMartin¹

¹Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Sarriena auzoa, z/g., 48940, Leioa, Spain.

|June 17, 2022

Abstract:

Every year, thousands of tons of polystyrene are produced and discarded, filling landfills and polluting the marine environment. Although several degradation alternatives have been proposed, the need for an effective procedure for the chemical recycling of polystyrene still remains. Here, a vanadium-catalyzed reaction, assisted by visible light, promoted the direct, selective conversion of tertiary alkylbenzenes into acetophenone and other ketone derivatives. Likewise, standard polystyrene samples as well as polystyrenes from insulation and packaging waste could be chemically recycled into acetophenone in a scalable way regardless of their molecular weight, polydispersity, or form. Preliminary mechanistic investigations revealed the participation of singlet oxygen, superoxide, and hydroxyl radical species in this homogenously catalyzed process. Acetophenone could be used as an additive to accelerate the reaction and to increase the yields in some cases.

Keywords:

alkanes chemical recycling homogeneous catalysis ketones polymers

More Related Videos

Photogeneration of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Application in Photoinduced Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

Photogeneration of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Application in Photoinduced Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

Published on: November 29, 2018

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy

Published on: November 9, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Benzene

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Benzene

Friedel–Crafts reactions were developed in 1877 by the French chemist Charles Friedel and the American chemist James Crafts. Friedel–Crafts alkylation refers to the replacement of an aromatic proton with an alkyl group via electrophilic aromatic substitution. A Lewis acid catalyst such as aluminum chloride reacts with an alkyl halide to form a carbocation. The resulting carbocation then reacts with the aromatic ring and undergoes a series of electron rearrangements before giving the...

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

Alkenes via Reductive Coupling of Aldehydes or Ketones: McMurry Reaction

Alkenes via Reductive Coupling of Aldehydes or Ketones: McMurry Reaction

The radical dimerization of ketones or aldehydes gives vicinal diols through a pinacol coupling reaction. However, the behavior of titanium metals used for the reaction as a source of electrons is unusual. When the reaction is carried out in the presence of titanium, diols can be isolated at low temperatures. Else titanium further reacts with diols, forming alkenes through the McMurry reaction.

Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

In addition to the oxymercuration–demercuration method, which converts the alkenes to alcohols with Markovnikov orientation, a complementary hydroboration-oxidation method yields the anti-Markovnikov product. The hydroboration reaction, discovered in 1959 by H.C. Brown, involves the addition of a B–H bond of borane to an alkene giving an organoborane intermediate. The oxidation of this intermediate with basic hydrogen peroxide forms an alcohol.

Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation

Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation

Introduction
One of the convenient methods for the preparation of aldehydes and ketones is via hydration of alkynes. Hydroboration-oxidation of alkynes is an indirect hydration reaction in which an alkyne is treated with borane followed by oxidation with alkaline peroxide to form an enol that rapidly converts into an aldehyde or a ketone. Terminal alkynes form aldehydes, whereas internal alkynes give ketones as the final product.

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

The absorption of UV–visible light by conjugated systems causes the promotion of an electron from the ground state to the excited state. Consequently, photochemical electrocyclic reactions proceed via the excited-state HOMO rather than the ground-state HOMO. Since the ground- and excited-state HOMOs have different symmetries, the stereochemical outcome of electrocyclic reactions depends on the mode of activation; i.e., thermal or photochemical.
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Novel Dorsomorphin Derivatives: Molecular Modeling, Synthesis, and Bioactivity Evaluation.

Biomolecules·2026

Direct Arylation in the Presence of Palladium Pincer Complexes.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

New Copper, Palladium and Nickel Catalytic Systems: An Evolution towards More Efficient Procedures.

Chemical record (New York, N.Y.)·2016

Synthesis, structure, and catalytic applications for ortho- and meta-carboranyl based NBN pincer-Pd complexes.

Inorganic chemistry·2014

An straightforward entry to new pyrazolo-fused dibenzo[1,4]diazepines.

Organic & biomolecular chemistry·2011

Toward safer processes for C-C biaryl bond construction: catalytic direct C-H arylation and tin-free radical coupling in the synthesis of pyrazolophenanthridines.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2009

See all related articles