Sunlight-driven copper-catalyst activation applied to photolatent click chemistry.

The synthesis, full characterization, photoreduction properties, and catalytic activity for the copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction of a copper(II)-DMEDA (N,N'-dimethylethylendiamine) complex is reported. Spectroscopic studies (UV/Vis, EPR) demonstrated that under daylight illumination highly effective copper(II) to copper(I) reduction occurs in this complex. These findings are in agreement with a high photoreduction quantum yield value of 0.22 in MeOH, and a value approaching unity as determined in THF. The reduction process, which can also be conducted by irradiation at 365 nm by using a standard TLC (thin layer chromatography) lamp, is ascribed to a highly efficient photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process mediated by the benzophenone photosensitizer present in the carboxylate counterion. Having deaerated the reaction mixture, the photogenerated copper(I) species proved to be highly active for the CuAAC reaction, demonstrated by reactions conducted with low catalyst loading (0.5 mol %) on a range of clickable protected and non-protected mono- and disaccharides. Once initiated, the reaction can be stopped at any time on introducing air into the reaction medium. Deoxygenation followed by irradiation restores the activity, making the copper(II)-DMEDA complex a switchable catalyst of practical value.

A photoreducible copper(II)-tren complex of practical value: generation of a highly reactive click catalyst.

A detailed study on the photoreduction of the copper(II) precatalyst 1 to generate a highly reactive cuprous species for the copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction is presented. For the photoactive catalyst described herein, the activation is driven by a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process harnessing a benzophenone-like ketoprofenate chromophore as a photosensitizer, which is equally the counterion. The solvent is shown to play a major role in the Cu(II) to Cu(I) reduction process as the final electron source, and the influence of the solvent nature on the photoreduction efficiency has been studied. Particular attention was paid to the use of water as a potential solvent, aqueous media being particularly appealing for CuAAC processes. The ability to solubilize the copper-tren complexes in water through the formation of inclusion complexes with ß-CDs is demonstrated. Data is also provided on the fate of the copper(I)-tren catalytic species when reacting with O2, O2 being used to switch off the catalysis. These data show that partial oxidation of the secondary benzylamine groups of the ligand to benzylimines occurs. Preliminary results show that when prolonged irradiation times are employed a Cu(I) to Cu(0) over-reduction process takes place, leading to the formation of copper nanoparticles (NPs). Finally, the main objective of this work being the development of photoactivable catalysts of practical value for the CuAAC, the catalytic, photolatent, and recycling properties of 1 in water and organic solvents are reported.

Copper catalyst activation driven by photoinduced electron transfer: a prototype photolatent click catalyst.

PET cat. While the copper(II) tren ketoprofenate precatalyst 1 (see picture) is inactive at room temperature in methanol, it is quantitatively and rapidly reduced to its cuprous state upon light irradiation to provide a highly reactive click catalyst. By simply introducing air into the reaction medium the catalysis can be switched off and then switched on again by bubbling argon followed by irradiation.