An NAD+-type earth-abundant metal complex enabling photo-driven alcohol oxidation

For the first time, an NAD(+)-type earth-abundant metal complex [Zn(pbn)(2)(H2O)](ClO4)(2) (1) was found to exhibit photo-induced oxidizing ability to convert various primary and secondary alcohols to the corresponding aldehyde and ketone compounds. In addition, a two-electron-reduced Zn(II) complex [Zn(pbnH-pbnH)(ClO4)(2)] (1(red)) comprising the novel C-C coupling ligand, obtained by the photo-induced oxidation of alcohols by 1, was successfully isolated and completely characterized. We clarified that the photochemical oxidation of alcohols by 1 to produce 1(r)(ed) proceeds via an electron transfer followed by proton transfer mechanism as elucidated by kinetic analysis on the basis of absorption spectroscopic measurements.

Automated summary

The study discovered an NAD(+)-type metal complex with oxidizing ability to convert alcohols to aldehydes and ketones, and successfully synthesized a novel zinc(II) complex with a C-C coupling ligand. Kinetic analysis based on absorption spectroscopic measurements revealed that the reaction proceeds through electron transfer followed by proton transfer mechanism.