Recyclable Mesoporous Graphitic Carbon Nitride Catalysts for the Sustainable Photoredox Catalyzed Synthesis of Carbonyl Compounds

The conversion of feedstock materials into useful chemical compounds through feasible processes is highly sought after from both industrial and environmental perspectives. In this study, we developed a simple and scalable protocol for synthesizing aldehydes, ketones, and amides from abundant raw materials, such as alkanes, alkenes, and carboxylic acids. Using a photoactive mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride catalyst (mpg-CN) and molecular oxygen, we successfully transformed over 60 substrates in good yield and selectivity. This method is suitable for the late-stage modification of existing drug molecules into their corresponding carbonyl derivatives and can provide direct access to intermediates or oxidative decomposition and degradation products important for understanding biological pathways in drug development. Additionally, our protocol is applicable for large-scale preparation, and the mpg-CN catalyst can be recycled without significant loss of catalytic activity and selectivity. Comprehensive experiments, including labeled oxygen studies, support the photo-oxidative mechanism.