Uncovering the Roles of Oxygen in Cr(III) Photoredox Catalysis

A combined experimental and theoretical investigation aims to elucidate the necessary roles of oxygen in photoredox catalysis of radical cation based Diels-Alder cycloadditions mediated by the first-row transition metal complex [Cr(Ph(2)phen)(3)](3+), where Ph(2)phen = bathophenan-throline. We employ a diverse array of techniques, including catalysis screening, electrochemistry, time-resolved spectros-copy, and computational analyses of reaction thermodynamics. Our key finding is that oxygen acts as a renewable energy and electron shuttle following photo excitation of the Cr(III) catalyst. First, oxygen quenches the excited Cr3+* complex; this energy transfer process protects the catalyst from decomposition while preserving a synthetically useful 13 mu s excited state and produces singlet oxygen. Second, singlet oxygen returns the reduced catalyst to the Cr(III) ground state, forming superoxide. Third, the superoxide species reduces the Diels-Alder cycloadduct radical cation to the final product and reforms oxygen. We compare the results of these studies with those from cycloadditions mediated by related Ru(II)-containing complexes and find that the distinct reaction pathways are likely part of a unified mechanistic framework where the photophysical and photochemical properties of the catalyst species lead to oxygen-mediated photocatalysis for the Cr-containing complex but radical chain initiation for the Ru congener. These results provide insight into how oxygen can participate as a sustainable reagent in photocatalysis.