Creating a stationary fluorinated environment inside the zeolite cavity can increase the reactivity observed for intrazeolite photooxidation of alkenes. Exchanging the zeolite with fluorinated organic cations is a much more effective strategy than simply using a fluorinated solvent for slurry irradiations. Use of cations containing C-F bonds is also more efficient than use of deuterated cations for creation of a singlet oxygen friendly environment where the quenching processes are slowed down. Doping the zeolite with fluoro-organic cation 4 resulted in an increase in the singlet oxygen lifetime to 12 micros.
Dipartimento di Chimica Organica E. Paternò, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Parco d'Orleans II, Edificio 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy. pace@unipa.it
