meso-Tetrakis-(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin iron(III) chloride electrocatalyzed dechlorination of DDT: Rational molecule design towards enhanced removal of environmental harmful organochlorides

•In this manuscript, meso-pentafluorophenylporphyrin with decreased electron density of macroheterocycle rings performed enhanced reductive electrocatalytic dechlorination of DDT up to 100% within 3 hours. Spectroscopy, electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, and GC–MS measurements provide useful information about the relationship between the electronic structure and electrocatalyzed dechlorination efficiency of organochlorides.

A rationally designed meso-tetrakis-(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin iron(III) chloride [(TF5PP)Fe(III)Cl] was examined as electron reductive dechlorination of environmental harmful 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) in nonaqueous media. Due to the introduction of strong electron-withdrawing groups at meso-positions, (TF5PP)Fe(III)Cl exhibits 100% overall degradation efficiency of DDT by using the controlled-potential electrolysis. The time-dependent dechlorination products were analyzed by GC–MS, and the mechanism was studied by in-situ spectroelectrochemical measurements. This rationally designed model catalyst revealed higher degradation speed and efficiency that provide useful information for future rational molecular design towards highly efficient removal of environmental harmful organochloride catalyzed by metallo-porphyrins.

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