Selective C(sp3)–H bond aerobic oxidation enabled by a π-conjugated small molecule-oxygen charge transfer state†

Due to the high oxidation potential of arenes and alkenes, previous methods of benzylic and allylic C–H oxidation necessitated the use of strong oxidizing agents, metal catalysts, or free radical initiators (such as photocatalysts or hydrogen atom transfer reagents) to be effective. Herein, we employ oxygen to generate a triple-spin charge transfer state with π-conjugated compounds effectively accessing the triplet excited states of arenes, followed by energy transfer to form singlet oxygen facilitating C–H bond oxidation. Distinct from previous oxidations, it is the first time that a series of natural products and drug molecules (27 examples) are selectively oxidized without any catalysts or additives. The transformation can be implemented under sunlight to produce valuable unsaturated (aromatic) ketones and only water as waste, which meets every one of the 12 principles of green chemistry.