Towards the valorization of poly(acrylic acid) waste: organophotoredox-catalyzed decarboxylative fluorination

Abstract

Single-use hygiene products account for a significant volume of landfill waste, and valorization of their superabsorbent polymer component, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), via a polymer-to-polymer transformation has been targeted. Herein, we report the photoredox-catalyzed decarboxylative fluorination of PAA using riboflavin, a sustainable and economical organophotocatalyst. Our approach enables the synthesis of copolymers of PAA and poly(vinyl fluoride) (PVF), valuable commodity materials, in less than one hour of irradiation. Additionally, the process uses water as solvent, applies to PAA substrates of various molecular weights, enables tunable conversion on the basis of irradiation time, and can employ riboflavin from a commercial vitamin B2 capsule as catalyst.