• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.70-72
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• 2014

Visible-light irradiation of MeCN solution containing di(hydroxo)metallo(tetraphenyl)porphyrin complex $(tppM(OH)_2$: 1a; $M=Sb(V)^+Br^-$, 1b; $M=P(V)^+Cl^-$, 1c; M=Ge(IV)) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) as a substrate under aerated condition gave bis(2-hydroxyethyl)disulfide (2-HEDS) as an oxidative product of 2-ME. It is indicated that the oxidation of 2-ME should proceed with a photocatalytic process by 1, because the turn over number (TON) for the formation of 2-HEDS was over unit. The TON was determined to be 642 as a maximum value when 1a was used as a sensitizer. The formation of 2-HDES was extremely slow under argon atmosphere. The fluorescence of 1 was not quenched by 2-ME at all, and the free energy change (${\Delta}G$) with electron transfer (ET) from 2-ME to excited triplet state of $1(^31^*)$ was estimated as a negative value. The quenching rate constant ($k_r$) of $^31^*$ by 2-ME, obtained by the kinetics for the formation of 2-HEDS, strongly depends on ${\Delta}G$. These findings indicate that 1-sensitized oxidation was initiated by photoinduced ET from 2-ME to $^31^*$ to generate both radical cation of 2-ME ($2-ME^{+\bulle}$) and porphyrin radical anion ($1^{-\bulle}$), resulting that the formation of 2-HEDS can be proceeded by the dimerization of $2-ME^{+\bulle}$, and through a catalytic cycle due to returning to 1 by the ET from $1^{-\bulle}$ to molecular oxygen.