Novel reactivity of photoexcited iron porphyrins caged into a polyfluoro sulfonated membrane in catalytic hydrocarbon oxygenation

Heterogenization of iron porphyrins inside Nafion creates new photocatalytic systems which can be used to oxidize cyclohexene and cyclohexane with sunlight and O-2 under mild conditions (room temperature, atmospheric pressure); the polymeric matrix makes the iron porphyrin a good photocatalyst for the monooxygenation of the substrate and increases both its photocatalytic efficiency (about ten times) and its stability (turnover values > 1000).