Light-driven, heterogeneous organocatalysts for novel C-C-bond formation towards valuable perfluoroalkylated intermediates

The favorable exploitation of carbon nitride (CN) materials in photocatalysis for organic synthesis requires the appropriate fine-tuning of the CN structure. Here we present a deep investigation of the structure/activity relationship of CN in the photocatalytic perfluoroalkylation of organic compounds. Four types of CN bearing subtle structural differences were studied via conventional characterization techniques and innovative NMR experiments, correlating the different structures with the fundamental mechanistic nexus, especially highlighting the importance of the halogen bond strength between the reagent and the catalyst surface. The optimum catalyst exhibited an excellent performance, with a very wide reaction scope, and could prominently trigger the model reaction using natural sun. The work lays a platform for establishing a new approach in the development of heterogeneous photocatalysts for organic synthesis related to medical, agro- and material chemistry.