Molecular engineering of polyoxometalate–porphyrin ion-pair hybrids: crystallographic insight and visible-light driven photocatalytic oxidative coupling of amines

Abstract

The study demonstrates the electrostatic driven self-assembly approach to obtain molecular hybrids (POM–POR) of anionic polyoxometalate (POM) and cationic porphyrin (POR). The single crystal structure of the hybrid ion-pair POM–POR has been elucidated. The study not only provides unique opportunities to study the crystal structure of the hybrid, but also deals with the heterogenization of a homogeneous POR catalyst to study oxidative coupling of benzylamine to N-benzylidenebenzylamine under visible-light irradiation with high selectivity and stability.