Selective Visible Light Aerobic Photocatalytic Oxygenation of Alkanes to the Corresponding Carbonyl Compounds

The aerobic, selective oxygenation of alkanes via C-H bond activation is an important research challenge. Photocatalysis offers the potential for the introduction of additional concepts for such reactions. Visible light photoactive semiconductors such as bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX, X = Cl and Br) used in this research typically oxidize organic compounds through photocatalyzed formation of strongly oxidizing holes. The reactive oxygen species formed react with organic compounds in one-electron processes, leading to radical intermediates and nonselective oxidation. Such oxidation reactions generally lead to total oxidation. Here, impregnation of BiOX with a polyoxometalate, H₅PV₂Mo₁₀O₄₀, as a strong electron acceptor changed the reactivity of BiOX, leading to Mars-van Krevelen-type reactivity, that is, photoactivated oxygen donation from BiOX to the organic substrate followed by reoxidation by O₂ and catalysis. This conclusion was supported by mechanistic studies involving isotope labeling studies. In this way, ethane was selectively oxidized to acetaldehyde in a flow reactor with a turnover number (24 h) of 415.