Oxidation is a significant chemical process that occurs in both natural environments and the chemical industry, resulting in the production of oxygenated compounds. Presently, conventional reactions commonly occur in deleterious organic solvents, which are not only wasteful but also widely considered to be environmentally unfriendly. Here, a practical, self-photocatalyzed oxidation method for alkylarenes to carbonyls was developed with water as the oxygen donor. Through MS analysis of the products derived from the reaction with ¹⁸O-labeled water, we confirmed that the oxygen atoms in the products originate from water. This reaction offers an optimal method for synthesizing valuable fine chemicals from alkylarenes to carbonyls. In addition, the system could be further applied in the synthesis of photosensitizers and medicines and the selective degradation of polystyrene, offering an important and practical tool to generate high-value chemicals.

中文翻译：

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烷基芳烃与水的自光催化氧化成羰基


氧化是自然环境和化学工业中发生的重要化学过程，导致含氧化合物的产生。目前，常规反应通常在有害的有机溶剂中进行，这不仅造成浪费，而且被广泛认为对环境不友好。在这里，开发了一种实用的自光催化氧化方法，以水作为氧供体，将烷基芳烃氧化为羰基化合物。通过对 ¹⁸ O标记水反应产物的MS分析，我们证实产物中的氧原子来源于水。该反应为从烷基芳烃到羰基化合物合成有价值的精细化学品提供了最佳方法。此外，该系统还可进一步应用于光敏剂和药物的合成以及聚苯乙烯的选择性降解，为生产高价值化学品提供重要且实用的工具。