Metal‐free Photocatalytic Aerobic Oxidative Cleavage of C‐C Bonds in 1,2‐Diols

The preparation of carbonyl compounds by the aerobic oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds in 1,2-diols under mild reaction conditions is a very significant reaction and it is widely employed in various scenarios. Avoiding the use of harmful stoichiometric oxidants and adopting a greener chemical process are still the challenge for this reaction to date. In this manuscript, a heterogeneous metal-free photocatalytic strategy without any additive was developed for aerobic oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds in 1,2-diols at ambient conditions with visible light. The reaction mechanism was further studied through a series of control experiments and DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations. In addition, the catalytic system has a broad substrates scope, including aliphatic (linear or cyclic) 1,2-diols, benzylic, alkenyl 1,2-diols and α-hydroxy acids (such as lactic acid). Thus, this strategy could serve as a method for the transformation of 1,2-diols to corresponding carbonyl compounds by the aerobic oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds.