Copper loaded nitrogen-rich mesoporous carbon nitride as a highly efficient photocatalyst for selective oxidative cleavage of C(sp3)-C(sp3) bonds at room temperature under visible light

Catalytic selective cleavage reaction of the C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) bond has received little attention, despite its importance in organic synthesis and biochemistry. Herein, a novel copper loaded nitrogen-rich mesoporous carbon nitride material was designed and synthesized, and utilized as a highly efficient photocatalyst for the inert C-C bond cleavage of amines under blue light irradiation. With oxygen as a benign oxidant, good to excellent yields were achieved for various functionalized amines at room temperature, even including sluggish aliphatic amines. The method may provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for the direct oxidative cleavage of amines.