Surface-doped graphitic carbon nitride catalyzed photooxidation of olefins and dienes: Chemical evidence for electron transfer and singlet oxygen mechanisms

Apostolos Chatzoudis, Vasileios Giannopoulos, Frank Hollmann, Ioulia Smonou*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
73 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

A new photocatalytic reactivity of carbon-nanodot-doped graphitic carbon nitride (CD-C3N4) with alkenes and dienes, has been disclosed. We have shown that CD-C3N4 photosensitizes the oxidation of unsaturated substrates in a variety of solvents according to two competing mechanisms: the energy transfer via singlet oxygen (1O2) and/or the electron transfer via superoxide (O·−2). The singlet oxygen, derived by the CD-C3N4 photosensitized process, reacts with alkenes to form allylic hydroperoxides (ene products) whereas with dienes, endoperoxides. When the electron transfer mechanism operates, cleavage products are formed, derived from the corresponding dioxetanes. Which of the two mechanisms will prevail depends on solvent polarity and the particular substrate. The photocatalyst remains stable under the photooxidation conditions, unlike the most conventional photosensitizers, while the heterogeneous nature of CD-C3N4 overcomes usual solubility problems.

Original languageEnglish
Article number639
Number of pages12
JournalCatalysts
Volume9
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • Ene products
  • Graphitic carbon nitride
  • Photocatalyst
  • Photooxidation mechanism
  • Photosensitizer
  • Singlet oxygen

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