Red-Light-Driven Photocatalysis with NI-BODIPY-Fullerene Systems for Organic Transformations

Area of Science:

• Organic Chemistry
• Photochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Direct use of low-energy red light for photochemical synthesis is desirable but difficult.
• BODIPY-based photosensitizers (PSs) offer tunable properties for red light applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore heavy atom-free NI-BODIPY-fullerene triads as red light photocatalysts.
• To investigate their efficiency in generating singlet oxygen (¹O₂) for organic transformations.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of mono- and bis-adducts of NI-BODIPY-fullerene triads.
• Red light-irradiated photocatalytic reactions including DHN conversion and thioanisole photooxidation.
• Characterization of photocatalytic activity and efficiency.

Main Results:

• NI-BODIPY-fullerene derivatives strongly absorb red light (560-660 nm).
• Effective generation of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) was confirmed.
• High photocatalytic activity achieved, with 100% thioanisole conversion in 2 hours, comparable to commercial systems.

Conclusions:

• Distyryl-NI-BODIPY-fullerene derivatives are effective red light photocatalysts.
• These compounds show significant potential for organic synthesis and transformations.
• The developed photocatalysts offer a promising alternative to existing systems.