Efficient photocatalytic aerobic oxidations by a molecular cobalt catalyst linked to mesoporous carbon nitride

The development of green and sustainable oxidative reactions demands efficient catalyst to harness molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant. In present work, a specific hybrid photocatalyst was rational designed upon covalent grafting a cobalt molecular complex as the electron transfer mediator to mesoporous carbon nitride through an amide linkage. This nanostructured bifunctional photocatalyst was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques and proved to be a selective and efficient catalyst for photocatalytic visible-light-driven aerobic oxidations of organic molecules. This strategy provides efficient electronic communication between the molecular catalyst and semiconductive material, therefore opens a pathway for photocatalytic aerobic oxidations in chemical synthesis.