Recent applications of porphyrins as photocatalysts in organic synthesis: batch and continuous flow approaches

Beilstein J Org Chem. 2020 May 6:16:917-955. doi: 10.3762/bjoc.16.83. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

In this review we present relevant and recent applications of porphyrin derivatives as photocatalysts in organic synthesis, involving both single electron transfer (SET) and energy transfer (ET) mechanistic approaches. We demonstrate that these highly conjugated photosensitizers show increasing potential in photocatalysis since they combine both photo- and electrochemical properties which can substitute available metalloorganic photocatalysts. Batch and continuous-flow approaches are presented highlighting the relevance of enabling technologies for the renewal of porphyrin applications in photocatalysis. Finally, the reaction scale in which the methodologies were developed are highlighted since this is an important parameter in the authors' opinion.

Keywords: energy transfer; photocatalysis; photooxygenation; photoredox; porphyrins.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The authors would like to thank the São Paulo Research Foundation FAPESP (grant number: 2018/00106-7 and 2013/07276-1; fellowships: 2018/00879-6, 2014/24506-3) as well as the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa - CNPq (Grant 407990/2018-6 and K.T.O. research fellowship 303890/2019-3) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Financial Code 001, for the financial support.