Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of C(sp3)-H bonds

In modern industries, the aerobic oxidation of C(sp 3 )-H bonds to achieve the value-added conversion of hydrocarbons requires high temperatures and pressures, which significantly increases energy consumption and capital investment. The development of a light-driven strategy, even under natural sunlight and ambient air, is therefore of great significance. Here we develop a series of hetero-motif molecular junction photocatalysts containing two bifunctional motifs. With these materials, the reduction of O 2 and oxidation of C(sp 3 )-H bonds can be effectively accomplished, thus realizing efficient aerobic oxidation of C(sp 3 )-H bonds in e.g., toluene and ethylbenzene. Especially for ethylbenzene oxidation reactions, excellent catalytic capacity (861 mmol g cat −1 ) is observed. In addition to the direct oxidation of C(sp 3 )-H bonds, CeBTTD-A can also be applied to other types of aerobic oxidation reactions highlighting their potential for industrial applications. The authors report a family of photocatalysts containing Ce active sites and perylene diimide ligands for the aerobic oxidation of substituted toluene, ethylbenzene, benzyl alcohol, thioanisole, and benzylamine in acetonitrile.