Carbon dot-based type I photosensitizers for photocatalytic oxidation reaction of arylboric acid and N-phenyl tetrahydroisoquinoline

Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as promising materials for photocatalytic organic transformations due to their excellent photostability, tunable electronic properties, and environmental friendliness; However, the ability of CDs to selectively generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and its integration with organic photocatalytic synthesis applications has always been a long-term challenge. In this work, we synthesized a new nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots (N,P-CDs) with enhanced light absorption and notable efficiency in generating superoxide anion (O₂^•−) selectively. Leveraging the selective generation of superoxide anions, we achieved highly efficient photooxidation of boronic acids and N-phenyl tetrahydroisoquinolines, demonstrating the practical applicability of N,P-CDs as photocatalysts and represents good functional-group tolerance as well as a broad substrate scope. This study provides valuable insights into the design of carbon-based photocatalysts with controlled ROS generation, opening new avenues for environmentally benign organic transformations.