Enhancement of singlet oxygen generation based on incorporation of oxoporphyrinogen (OxP) into microporous solids

Singlet oxygen, 1O2, generating compounds are highly useful for photodynamic therapy or organic oxidative transformations. In this work, the synthesis and photochemical performances for singlet oxygen generation of a range of oxoporphyrinogen-containing porous coordination polymers (OxP-PCPs) are reported. Oxoporphyrinogens, a previously unreported class of singlet oxygen generators derived from the oxidation of the antioxidant-substituted porphyrin tetrakis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin, were converted to molecular tectons by the introduction of oligophenylene-carboxylate linkers and incorporated into porous coordination polymers using well-known oxo-Zr(IV)6 cluster chemistry. Their structures and textural properties were analyzed revealing substantial surface areas up to 650 m2 g−1 for the optimum linker length (biphenylyl). The oxoporphyrinogen precursors exhibit good quantum yields of singlet oxygen generation (up to Φ = 0.37), and a high level of activity is maintained in the resulting coordination polymers, which appear to be superior for singlet oxygen generation to the precursors and to a reported reference material. These OxP-PCP materials were applied for the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides. This work demonstrates that the excellent singlet oxygen generator oxoporphyrinogens can be successfully incorporated as porous solids and conveniently applied in heterogeneous oxidative transformations.