Hairy Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanoparticles Facilitate Heterogeneous Photoredox Catalysis with Solvent-Specific Dispersibility

Substrate accessibility is a key limiting factor for the efficiency of heterogeneous photoredox catalysis. Recently, a high photoactive surface area of conjugated microporous polymer nanoparticles (CMP NPs) has made them promising candidates for overcoming the mass transfer limitation to achieve high photocatalytic efficiency. However, this potential has not been realized due to limited dispersibility of CMP NPs in many solvents, particularly in water. Here, we report a polymer grafting strategy that furnishes versatile hairy CMP NPs with enhanced solvent-specific dispersibility. The method associates hundreds of solvent-miscible repeating units with one chain end of the photocatalyst surface, allowing minimal modification to the CMP network that preserves its photocatalytic activity. Therefore, the enhanced dispersibility of hairy CMP NPs in organic solvents or aqueous solutions affords high efficiency in various photocatalytic organic transformations.

Automated summary

Substrate accessibility is a crucial factor that affects the efficiency of photoredox catalysis. Conjugated microporous polymer nanoparticles (CMP NPs) with a high photoactive surface area have shown promise in overcoming mass transfer limitations to achieve efficient photocatalysis. However, their limited dispersibility in many solvents, particularly in water, has hindered their practical application. In this study, we report a polymer grafting strategy that enhances the solvent-specific dispersibility of versatile hairy CMP NPs, while preserving their photocatalytic activity. The enhanced dispersibility of these nanoparticles in organic solvents or aqueous solutions enables high efficiency in various photocatalytic organic transformations.