biostudies-literatureZhou YScience and Technology Commission of Shanghai MunicipalityMinistry of Education of the People's Republic of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China1141-1146https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8397364biostudies-literatureUnknown1(8)Uranyl-photocatalyzed hydrolysis of diaryl ethers has been established to achieve two types of phenols at room temperature under normal pressure. The single electron transfer process was disclosed by a radical quenching experiment and Stern-Volmer analysis between diphenyl ether and uranyl cation catalyst, followed by oxygen atom transfer process between radical cation of diphenyl ether and uranyl peroxide species. The ¹⁸O-labeling experiment precisely demonstrates that the oxygen source is water. Further application in template substrates of 4-O-5 linkages from lignin and 30-fold efficiency of flow operation display the potential application for phenol recovery via an ecofriendly and low-energy consumption protocol.JACS AuUranyl-Photocatalyzed Hydrolysis of Diaryl Ethers at Ambient Environment for the Directional Degradation of 4-O-5 Lignin.PMC839736420XD14215002197106520JC141680018JC1415600Hu DLi DJiang XZhou YfalseUranyl-Photocatalyzed Hydrolysis of Diaryl Ethers at Ambient Environment for the Directional Degradation of 4-O-5 Lignin.Uranyl-photocatalyzed hydrolysis of diaryl ethers has been established to achieve two types of phenols at room temperature under normal pressure. The single electron transfer process was disclosed by a radical quenching experiment and Stern-Volmer analysis between diphenyl ether and uranyl cation catalyst, followed by oxygen atom transfer process between radical cation of diphenyl ether and uranyl peroxide species. The ¹⁸O-labeling experiment precisely demonstrates that the oxygen source is water. Further application in template substrates of 4-O-5 linkages from lignin and 30-fold efficiency of flow operation display the potential application for phenol recovery via an ecofriendly and low-energy consumption protocol.2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Aug2026-05-09T07:09:02.95Z2022-02-11T10:12:13.034ZS-EPMC83973643446735410.1021/jacsau.1c00168