Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols and concomitant hydrogen peroxide production.
Avik BhattacharjeeAireth R LaVigneSerena M FrazeeTyler L HerreraTheresa M McCormickPublished in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2023)
The photochemical oxidation of benzylic alcohols using N -hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) catalyst, with Rose Bengal as a singlet oxygen photosensitizer, and the production of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) under metal-free conditions is presented. Computational and experimental investigations support 1 O 2 as the oxidant that converts NHPI to the active radical intermediate phthalimide- N -oxyl (PINO). This is a green alternative to current methods of H 2 O 2 production.