Room temperature aqueous solution synthesis of pinacol (C6) by photocatalytic C-C coupling of isopropanol

Aliphatic pinacol (C-6) was prepared for the first time by photocatalytic C-C coupling of isopropanol in an aqueous solution at room temperature by using Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The phase and pore structure of TiO2 was modulated by calcination of the commercial TiO2 at 500-900 degrees C. High isopropanol conversion was achieved when the commercial P25 TiO2 was calcined at 600 degrees C for 20h, and the highest pinacol yield was of 14.7% at the photocatalytic reaction of 20 h. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.