Selective photocatalytic formation of sulfoxides by aerobic oxidation of sulfides over conjugated microporous polymers with thiazolo[5,4-d] thiazole linkage

Developing selective formation of sulfoxides by aerobic oxidation of sulfides over highly efficient visible-light photocatalysts is an essential but challenging task. Herein, a conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) photocatalyst with the desired linkage thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (TzTz) is presented to undertake this task. Remarkably, a catalyst-free solvothermal process afforded TzTz-CMP-3 from tetra(4-formylphenyl)-benzene and dithiooxamide. The photocatalytic activity of TzTz-CMP-3 is demonstrated with the blue light-powered selective formation of sulfoxides by aerobic oxidation of sulfides. A wide range of sulfoxides can be effectively formed by oxidation of sulfides with excellent product selectivities (up to 99 %) over the TzTz-CMP-3 photocatalyst. The more symmetric pi-conjugated aromatic ring of TzTz-CMP-3 endows it with more favorable activity than the less symmetric ones. This work underscores the symmetry of building blocks for CMPs for selective photocatalytic formation of valuable organic molecules.

Automated summary

The conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) photocatalyst with the desired linkage thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (TzTz) successfully achieved selective formation of sulfoxides by aerobic oxidation of sulfides. TzTz-CMP-3 showed efficient formation of a wide range of sulfoxides with excellent product selectivities (up to 99%) under blue light irradiation.