3/16/2021 – Congratulations to Karina and Oliver on their work repurposing PTH, a common photoreductant, into a potent photooxidant using O2 and a Lewis acid co-catalyst. Out in JACS now!

We describe a photocatalytic system that reveals latent photooxidant behavior from one of the most reducing conventional photoredox catalysts, N-phenylphenothiazine (PTH). This aerobic photochemical reaction engages difficult to oxidize feedstocks, such as benzene, in C(sp²)–N coupling reactions through direct oxidation. Mechanistic studies are consistent with activation of PTH via photooxidation and with Lewis acid cocatalysts scavenging inhibitors inextricably formed in this process.

Read the full article at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.1c00399