A bifunctional hypercrosslinked polymer valorised from an expired pharmaceutical: an efficient Lewis acid and phase transfer catalyst

Abstract

A simple method of valorizing reclaimed bifonazole was developed to synthesize a hypercrosslinked polymer catalyst (HCP-B), which can be used as an efficient catalyst for organic transformations, thanks to its Lewis acid and phase transfer catalytic properties. A comprehensive analysis of the structure–activity relationships depicted that the FeCl₂–NHC generated in situ was the active catalyst site. Thus, such a rational design provides new insights into the valorization of expired pharmaceuticals.