Affiliation:
1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and School of Materials Science and Engineering Nanjing University of Science and Technology Nanjing 210094 China
2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Yonsei University 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu Seoul 120-749 Republic of Korea
3. Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450001, Henan China
Abstract
AbstractDirectional organic transformation via a green, sustainable catalytic reaction has attracted a lot of attention. Herein, we report a photoelectrochemical approach for highly selective epoxidation of alkenes in a salt solution using Co2(OH)3Cl (CoOCl) as a bridge of photo‐generated charge, where the lattice Cl− of CoOCl can be oxidized to generate HClO by the photo‐generated holes of BiVO4 photoanode and be spontaneously recovered by Cl− of a salt solution, which then oxidizes the alkenes into the corresponding epoxides. As a result, a series of water‐soluble alkenes, including 4‐vinylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium, 2‐methyl‐2‐propene‐1‐sulfonic acid sodium, and 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol can be epoxidized with near 100 % conversion rate and selectivity. Through further inserting a MoOx protection layer between BiVO4 and CoOCl, the stability of CoOCl−MoOx/BiVO4 can be maintained for at least 120 hours. This work opens an avenue for solar‐driven organic epoxidation with a possibility of on‐site reaction around the abundant ocean.