Photocatalytic selective oxidation of hydrocarbons in the aqueous phase

The sustainable transformation of an inert alkane into its corresponding oxygenates has been the subject of intense chemical research. These oxygenates typically produced from processes using stringent conditions and materials offer disadvantages that include decreased selectivities to the partial oxygenates and by-product formation. As environmental concerns and regulations become more rigorous, the need for alternative catalytic oxidation processes that use mild or ambient conditions is increased. In this Note, the authors have investigated the use of photocatalysis as a low-temperature and "green" alternative for the direct and selective oxidation of alkanes with molecular oxygen.