Photoinitiated catalysis in Nafion membranes containing palladium(II) meso-tetrakis(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin and iron(III) meso-tetrakis-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin for O2-mediated oxidations of alkenes.

Immobilisation of both palladium(II) meso-tetrakis(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin (PdTMPyP4+) and iron(III) meso-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin (FeTDCPP+) in the same membrane of Nafion creates a new composite system, in which the photoexcited palladium complex induces the O2-mediated oxidation of cyclohexene to the corresponding allylic hydroperoxide and the iron porphyrin works as a catalyst for specific oxygenations of cyclohexene and cyclooctene. The role of PdTMPyP4+ is to induce the photoactivation of O2 with visible light (lambda > 500 nm) to generate singlet oxygen (1O2) by means of energy transfer from the excited triplet state. Consequently, the 1O2-mediated oxidation of cyclohexene to cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide can be realised with a selectivity greater than 90%. Spectroscopic and photophysical investigations show that the tetracationic palladium porphyrin is mainly fixed to the external part of the Nafion membrane, it is characterised by a triplet-state lifetime significantly higher than that in the solution phase. The monocationic FeTDCPP+ is able to diffuse into the anionic cavities of Nafion, where it works as a catalyst for O2-mediated autooxidation processes that are initiated by the photogenerated hydroperoxides. These processes continue in the dark for many hours giving cyclohex-2-en-1-ol and trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diol monoethyl ether as main oxidation products. The presence of this ether, indirectly, reveals the formation of cyclohexene epoxide which undergoes a nucleophilic attack by ethanol and epoxide opening because of the strong acidic environment inside Nafion. The good photocatalytic efficiency of the oxidation process is demonstrated by an overall quantum yield of 1.1, as well as by a turnover value of 4.7 x 10(3) with respect to the iron porphyrin. When cyclooctene is present as co-substrate, it also undergoes oxygenation. In contrast to what was observed for cyclohexene, cyclooctene epoxide can be accumulated in a significant amount. As far as the stability of the system is concerned, FeTDCPP+ undergoes about 1% degradation during the process, while the Nafion matrix can be utilised several times without observable modification.