Synergistic photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of sulfides and amines on TiO2 under visible-light irradiation† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4sc02891k Click here for additional data file.

Selective photocatalytic aerobic oxidation, which can be conducted under ambient conditions, is of great importance towards achieving sustainable chemistry. However, its practical applications are undermined by several challenges, such as low selectivity, sluggish reaction rates, and the requirement of UV light irradiation. Herein, we report a new concept of synergistic photocatalytic oxidation, for which two seemingly irrelevant reactions can be achieved in one photocatalytic system through the synergistic interplay of reactants and catalyst. As proof of concept, two challenging reactions, the aerobic oxidation of sulfide and the aerobic oxidative formylation of amine with methanol, were employed to demonstrate such synergistic photocatalytic aerobic oxidation under visible-light irradiation. This work could pave the way for highly selective photoredox catalysis via rational design based on mechanistic insight.