Visible Light-Mediated Selective Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols Catalyzed by Disulfide in Batch and Flow.

Selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols in batch and flow can be realized under light irradiation, utilizing disulfide as the photocatalyst, and a variety of primary and secondary alcohols were converted to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones in up to 99% yield and high selectivity. The reaction efficiency could be increased even further by combining a continuous-flow strategy. Detailed mechanistic studies have also been achieved to determine the role of oxygen and disulfides in this oxidation.