Photooxidation of triarylphosphines under aerobic conditions in the presence of a gold(iii) complex on cellulose extracted from Carthamus tinctorius immobilized on nanofibrous phosphosilicate.

Triarylphosphines were converted to the corresponding oxides via photooxidation as a novel method. In this study, cellulose was extracted from the Carthamus tinctorius plant and then oxidized by sodium metaperiodate. A gold complex was supported on this natural cellulose. Then, a gold complex on natural cellulose supported on FPS (FPS/Au(iii)) was synthesized for the reduction of phosphine oxides to corresponding phosphines with remarkable chemoselectivity. The morphology of FPS led to higher catalytic activity. FPS/Au(iii) NPs were thoroughly characterized using TEM, FESEM, FTIR, TGA, and BET.