Visible light-driven C-H activation and C-C coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol.

ABSTRACT: The development of new methods for the direct transformation of methanol into two or multi-carbon compounds via controlled carbon-carbon coupling is a highly attractive but challenging goal. Here, we report the first visible-light-driven dehydrogenative coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol, an important chemical currently produced from petroleum. Ethylene glycol is formed with 90% selectivity and high efficiency, together with hydrogen over a molybdenum disulfide nanofoam-modified cadmium sulfide nanorod catalyst. Mechanistic studies reveal a preferential activation of C-H bond instead of O-H bond in methanol by photoexcited holes on CdS via a concerted proton-electron transfer mechanism, forming a hydroxymethyl radical (⋅CH2OH) that can readily desorb from catalyst surfaces for subse

SUBMITTER: Xie S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5862904 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature