Selective photocatalytic oxidation of (hetero)aryl alcohols to aldehydes and ketones by visible-light-absorbing three-dimensional Ni/ZnO nanoparticles†

Heterogeneous photocatalysis offers a promising avenue for green oxidation processes in organic synthesis. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional Ni/ZnO photocatalyst for the selective oxidation of (hetero)aryl alcohols to aldehydes and ketones using molecular oxygen as a green and cost-effective oxidant. The results indicated that the three-dimensional Ni/ZnO catalyst, with a nickel loading of 2.92 wt%, exhibited exceptional performance, achieving a conversion rate of 95% and a selectivity of 97%. Moreover, the Ni/ZnO photocatalyst could be easily separated from the crude reaction mixture and reused for several cycles without a significant decrease in reaction efficiency. This highlights its potential for industrial application in large scale synthesis.