Photocatalytic Chlorination of C-H Bonds Using Crystalline Carbon Nitrides

• Grant number: 24/15825-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ivo Freitas Teixeira
• Grantee: Gustavo Pinheiro de Sanctis
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/14741-6 - Graphitic carbon nitrides as platforms for single-atom photocatalysis: moving towards design principles for improved performance, AP.JP

Abstract

Chlorinated compounds are extremely important for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Currently, the main chlorination methods use chlorine gas (Cl2), which is toxic, corrosive, and harmful to the environment. Alternative methods for the addition of chlorine atoms include the use of cheap and environmentally friendly sources such as NaCl. However, the main difficulty of this method is the activation of chlorine species to make them suitable for substitution. Photocatalysis can be a simple and effective method to achieve this activation. Recently, photocatalysts based on crystalline carbon nitrides containing iron atoms in their structure (Fe-PHI) have shown high activity in the activation of C-H bonds, using iron-oxo species as intermediaries. These oxo species can catalyze chlorination reactions in the presence of chlorides in the medium, as observed in various enzymes and homogeneous complexes. Therefore, in this project, we aim to use Fe-PHI photocatalysts for the chlorination reactions of hydrocarbons, employing low-cost sources, such as NaCl.