Scale-Up Guide: Photocatalysis Reaction

Important Note

To best enable scale-up success, the use of glove box is highly recommended. However, modified bench top techniques are provided below.   

General Guidelines for Reaction Scale-Up

• Oven dry all glassware and stir bars
• Preheat oil bath to avoid temperature spiking
• Use dry, high purity reagents (and substrates)
• Use unopened Sure/Seal™ anhydrous solvents (or newly degassed)
• Keep reactions under an atmosphere of nitrogen
• Purge needle/syringe with nitrogen prior to use

Photoreactors

The SynLed Parallel Photoreactor (Z742680) and the Penn PhD Photoreactor m2 (Z744035) are both available for photocatalysis reaction scale-up. The SynLED Parallel Photoreactor features a 4x4 reaction block bottom-lit with blue LEDs (465 nm) facilitating reaction optimization and library synthesis (approx. volume: 2-4 mL). For further scale-up (up to 40 mL vials), the Penn PhD Photoreactor m2 provides user control of wavelength, temperature and light intensity.

SynLed Parallel Photoreactor (Z742680)

Penn PhD Photoreactor m2 (Z744031)

Example Experimental

All solids (substrates, catalysts, reagents) were weighed on a bench top balance and added to a cooled, oven dried flask^1,2 equipped with an oven dried stir bar. The reaction was capped and then purged and backfilled with nitrogen (3x) with a nitrogen-fed manifold needle. Anhydrous solvent (SureSeal™ed and punctured with a nitrogen-fed manifold needle) was then added via syringe. When all constituents were added, the nitrogen line was removed and the reaction allowed to stir under appropriate light irradiation for the duration of the reaction.

¹See the Photoredox Catalysis: Desk Reference and User Guide for more detailed additional guidance and troubleshooting tips

²Reaction vials capable of being sealed with a microwave cap are very useful as well. By design, the caps do not need to be replaced once punctured.

Product No.	Description	Vial
333190	Bismuth(III) sulfide	B3
793221	9-Mesityl-10-phenylacridinium tetrafluoroborate	B4
900421	9-Mesityl-3,6-di-tert-butyl-10-phenylacridinium tetrafluoroborate	B5
46955	Fluorescein	B6
224758	Ru(bpy)3Cl2·6H2O	C1
804215	[Ir{dFCF3ppy}2(bpy)]PF6	C2
232017	Tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone	C3
793876	9-Mesityl-2,7-dimethyl-10-phenylacridinium tetrafluoroborate	C4
900693	9-Mesityl-1,3,6,8-tetramethoxy-10-phenylacridin-10-ium tetrafluoroborate	C5
272345	2,4,6-Triphenylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate	C6
343714	Ru(phen)3Cl2·xH2O	D1
688096	Ir(ppy)3	D2
D60400	2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone	D3
794171	9-Mesityl-10-methylacridinium tetrafluoroborate	D4
900694	10-(3,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)-9-mesityl-1,3,6,8-tetramethoxyacridin-10-ium tetrafluoroborate	D5
900692	2,4,6-Tris(4-methoxyphenyl)pyrylium tetrafluoroborate	D6

Product No.	Description	Vial
747777	[Ru(bpz)3][PF6]2	A1
747769	[Ir(dtbbpy)(ppy)2]PF6	A2
637017	Bismuth(III) oxid	A3
318337	Acridine Orange HCl hydrate	A4
P2508	Proflavine hemisulfate salt hydrat	A5
459852	9,10-Anthracenedicarbonitrile	A6
747785	[Ru(bpm)3][Cl]2	B1
747793	(Ir[dF(CF3)ppy]2(dtbpy))PF6	B2