biostudies-literatureUnknown9(1)Xie SThe 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 subseNature communications1181https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5862904biostudies-literatureVisible light-driven C-H activation and C-C coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol.PMC5862904Jiang ZDeng DShen ZMa CZhang HDeng JWang YXie SGuo PZhang QCheng JfalseVisible light-driven C-H activation and C-C coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol.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 subse2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Mar2025-04-19T15:19:36.727Z2019-03-26T23:20:35ZS-EPMC58629042956351110.1038/s41467-018-03543-y