Alcohol-Selective Oxidation in Water under Mild Conditions via a Novel Approach to Hybrid Composite Photocatalysts

Abstract The oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds in a clean fashion (i.e., with water as a solvent or under solvent‐free conditions, and using O2 or H2O2 as the primary oxidant) is the subject of considerable research efforts. A new approach for the selective oxidation of soluble aromatic alcohols in water under mild conditions via a novel composite photocatalyst has been developed. The catalyst is synthesized by grafting 4‐(4‐(4‐hydroxyphenylimino)cyclohexa‐2,5dienylideneamino)phenol and silver nanoparticles onto the surface of moderately crystalline titanium dioxide. The titanium dioxide‐based composite was first extensively characterized and then employed in the catalytic oxidati…