A New Spin on Photocatalysis: Vortex Fluidic-Driven Photooxidations Enabled by Solution-Processable Microporous...

Benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BTZ) incorporated into polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) has previously been observed as a highly effective and affordable approach for photocatalyzing both visible light-driven energy transfer and single-electron transfer reactions. In this work, newly developed PIM-BTZ polymers (with commercially available monomers and facile synthesis) were applied as a reactive coating on the Vortex Fluidic Device (VFD), a rapid rotating tube reactor with continuous flow capabilities. The combination of the VFD's exceptionally high mass transfer properties and the photochemical properties of the PIM-BTZ coating was shown to synergistically accelerate organic reactions involving singlet oxygen and superoxide species, while also enabling continuous flow operation and synthesis. Compared to batch mode, the VFD achieved a dramatic increase in productivity from 15.0 mg h^-1 to 126.4 mg h^-1 when operated in continuous flow mode for the benchmark photooxidation of triphenylphosphine. Ultimately, the PIM-BTZ coated VFD demonstrates robust capability as a scalable photochemical reactor.