Recyclable and stable ruthenium catalyst for free radical polymerization at ambient temperature initiated by visible light photocatalysis

A ruthenium complex catalyst immobilized on Nafion coated silica, SiO2/Nf/RuL, shows recyclable and stable photocatalytic activity for free radical polymerization at ambient temperature under mild visible light irradiation. The stable SiO2/Nf/RuL photocatalyst can be easily recycled by simple washing without chemical treatment, exhibiting high catalytic performance and no notable decrease in catalytic efficiency even after five test cycles.