Aerobic photooxidative hydroxylation of boronic acids catalyzed by anthraquinone-containing polymeric photosensitizer

We report herein the synthesis of a polymeric photosensitizer and its application in aerobic photooxidative hydroxylation of boronic acids. The polymeric photosensitizer was synthesized by the condensation of anthraquinone-2-carbonyl chloride (AQ-2-COCl) with poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). The photo-oxidative hydroxylation of boronic acids using anthraquinone-containing-poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (AQ-PHEMA) was then explored and shown to exhibit high efficiency and broad scope. Moreover, AQ-PHEMA could be easily recovered and reused for more than 20 times without significant loss of the catalytic activity.