Visible-Light-Promoted Selective Oxidation of Alcohols Using a Covalent Triazine Framework

The formation of aldehydes and ketones via selective oxidation of alcohols is an essential transformation in organic synthesis. However, the usually harsh reaction conditions using toxic metal catalysts or corrosive reagents lead to undesired side products and wastes. Environmentally friendly and mild reaction conditions using metal-free catalysts remain a huge challenge. Herein, we report the use of a thiophene-based covalent triazine framework (CTF) as pure organic and visible-light-active photocatalyst for the selective oxidation of alcohols at room temperature. Molecular oxygen was activated as a clean and selective oxidant. The high selectivity and efficiency of the pure organic photocatalyst could be demonstrated and were comparable to those of the state-of-art metal or nonmetal catalytic systems reported.