Dibenzazepine Bridged Network Polymeric Phthalocyanines as Degradable Heterogeneous Photocatalysts


AHMETALİ E., Kocaarslan A., Trouillet V., Heißler S., Bräse S.

Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, vol.65, no.16, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 65 Issue: 16
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1002/anie.202523011
  • Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, Nature Index
  • Keywords: Dibenzazepine, Heterogeneous photocatalysts, Network polymeric phthalocyanine, Photodynamic covalent bond
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Recyclability and energy efficiency are inevitable requirements in today´s synthetic materials, as well as functional efficiency. Network polymeric phthalocyanines (NP-Pcs) are versatile molecular frameworks which widely utilized in energy and electron transfer demanding applications, but light hasn´t played a role before in their “design and degradation”. Herein, we introduce photodynamic dibenzazepine moiety into NP-Pcs to obtain degradable heterogeneous photocatalysts (NP-ZnPc and NP-CoPc). Singlet oxygen generation efficiency of NP-ZnPc is found to be high, almost completely quenching the absorbance of diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) within 30 s upon red light (λ = 630 nm) irradiation. Supplementary reactions show that NP-ZnPc has the capability to oxidize methylphenyl sulfide with 100% yield in 4 h reaction time. Subsequently, PET-RAFT polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate is successfully initiated by NP-ZnPc in the presence of a chain transfer agent upon red light (λ = 647 nm) irradiation. The linearity in the increase in molecular weight (14,400–21,200 g/mol) and the decrease in monomer concentration (ln([M]0/[M]t = 0.6–3.4) demonstrate the living characteristic of PET-RAFT polymerization. Thanks to its heterogeneous nature, NP-ZnPc is readily recovered and reused after polymerization up to three consecutive cycles without significant loss of performance. Notably, complete degradation of NP-Pcs was achieved under 254 nm light irradiation.