Reacting Molecular Oxygen with Butanone under Visible Light Irradiation: A General Aerobic Oxidation of Alkenes, Sulfides, Phosphines, and Silanes.

Here, we present a novel oxidation technique by reacting molecular oxygen with butanone under visible light irradiation. This method enables the mild oxidation of various functionalized compounds, including olefins, sulfides, phosphines, and silanes. Preliminary mechanistic experiments and theoretical calculations suggest that visible light triggers molecular oxygen to produce singlet oxygen in butanone. This singlet oxygen then reacts with butanone, producing an active oxidizing species.