Addressing Environmental Challenges of Porphyrin Mixtures Obtained from Statistical Syntheses. Issue 3 (1st February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hölzel, Helen; Muth, Maximilian; Lungerich, Dominik; Jux, Norbert
• Is Part Of: Chemistry methods. Volume 1:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 142
• Page End: 147
• Publication Date: 2021-02-01
• Subjects: Porphyrin -- statistical synthesis -- E-factor -- sustainability -- chromatography; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; 543
• DOI: 10.1002/cmtd.202000055
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2628-9725

Abstract

Abstract: Syntheses of complex molecular mixtures on the preparative scale are often challenging steps for chemists, which go hand in hand with expensive purification steps. Herein, the preparation and isolation of unsymmetrically substituted porphyrins, obtained from statistical reactions between two benzaldehydes, were investigated. Therefore, a semi‐automated modular process was developed to lower the consumable costs, save time, and reduce waste production. We utilized a monomode microwave reactor equipped with an autosampler, and a medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) flash purification device, equipped with a UV/Vis detector and a re‐usable glass column packed with SiO2 . With this method, it was possible to synthesize and purify several statistical porphyrin mixtures, while simultaneously reducing the environmental factor (E‐factor) significantly, compared to conventionally performed porphyrin syntheses. Our approach shows that a sustainable investigation of academically relevant low‐symmetrical porphyrins can be carried out feasibly, without sacrificing invested time. Abstract : Syntheses of unsymmetrical porphyrins on the preparative scale are often accompanied by expensive purification steps. With the help of common semi‐automated laboratory devices, we show that the consumable costs, the operators' time, and the produced waste can be reduced significantly. With our approach, we want to raise the awareness that sustainable investigations of academically relevant compounds can be carried out feasibly, without significant extra efforts.