Synthesis of water-soluble NIR macro-photocatalysts from polymerizable zinc phthalocyanine

To improve the solubility and recyclability of the NIR photocatalyst, two synthetic strategies, namely “living” polymers with permanent NIR photocatalyst by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and “non-living” polymers with recyclable NIR macro-photocatalyst (macro-PC) by conventional radical polymerization, were developed by copolymerization of hydrophilic and polymerizable zinc phthalocyanine (ZnTAPc-MAm or ZnTAPc-Am) monomers. The resultant macro-PCs from RAFT polymerization were endowed with permanent NIR photocatalysis due to the attachment of zinc phthalocyanine moieties, and the features of both “living” and permanent NIR photocatalyst of the “living” macro-PCs were verified by much simple multiple chain extensions via RAFT polymerization in water (only involved in “living” polymers and fresh monomer) under irradiation with NIR LED light ( λ max  = 730 nm) at room temperature. In addition, the resultant water-soluble “non-living” macro-PCs from conventional radical polymerization were endowed with only NIR photocatalysis property but they could be easily recycled just by centrifugation, which facilitates to synthesize tailored polymers by recyclable PCs under NIR irradiation.