Size-selective mesoporous silica-based Pt(II) complex as efficient and reusable photocatalytic material

Abstract The grafting of a Pt(II) photocatalyst into three different mesoporous silica-based materials with different particle sizes and pore sizes was easily achieved through an amide bond formation. The analysis and results of the different characterization techniques showed that the catalyst is immobilized inside the pores of the materials and the photophysical properties of the catalyst are preserved after the covalent anchoring. The photocatalytic material catalyzed efficiently the debromination reaction of different substrates and is reused without detriment in its catalytic activity. In addition, the incorporation of the catalyst into mesoporous silica materials with different pore size allows the selective debromination of substrates by size discrimination.