New polymer-supported photocatalyst with improved compatibility with polar solvents. Synthetic application using solar light as energy source

A new kind of supported photocatalysts derived from low-crosslinked polystrene, containing Rose Bengal and pyridinium groups, is described. Such polymers are capable to catalyze the quantitative synthesis of 5-hydroxy-5H-furan-2-one from 2-furoic acid in methanol, via singlet oxygen, using solar light as the energy source. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.