Porphyrins as Catalysts in Scalable Organic Reactions

Porphyrins as Catalysts in Scalable Organic Reactions

Juan C. Barona-Castaño ^†, Christian C. Carmona-Vargas ^†, Timothy J. Brocksom and Kleber T. de Oliveira *

Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil

*

Correspondence: Tel.: +55-16-3351-8083

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Academic Editors: M. Graça P. M. S. Neves and M. Amparo F. Faustino

Received: 29 January 2016 / Accepted: 1 March 2016 / Published: 8 March 2016

Abstract

: Catalysis is a topic of continuous interest since it was discovered in chemistry centuries ago. Aiming at the advance of reactions for efficient processes, a number of approaches have been developed over the last 180 years, and more recently, porphyrins occupy an important role in this field. Porphyrins and metalloporphyrins are fascinating compounds which are involved in a number of synthetic transformations of great interest for industry and academy. The aim of this review is to cover the most recent progress in reactions catalysed by porphyrins in scalable procedures, thus presenting the state of the art in reactions of epoxidation, sulfoxidation, oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds and C–H functionalization. In addition, the use of porphyrins as photocatalysts in continuous flow processes is covered.

Keywords:

porphyrins; catalysis; scalable reactions; sensitizers; continuous flow photocatalysis