Visible‐Light‐Irradiated Graphitic Carbon Nitride Photocatalyzed Diels–Alder Reactions with Dioxygen as Sustainable Mediator for Photoinduced Electrons

Photocatalytic Diels-Alder (D-A) reactions with electron rich olefins are realized by graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) under visible-light irradiation and aerobic conditions. This heterogeneous photoredox reaction system is highly efficient, and the apparent quantum yield reaches a remarkable value of 47 % for the model reaction. Dioxygen plays a critical role as electron mediator, which is distinct from the previous reports in the homogeneous RuII complex photoredox system. Moreover, the reaction intermediate vinylcyclobutane is captured and monitored during the reaction, serving as a direct evidence for the proposed reaction mechanism. The cycloaddition process is thereby determined to be the combination of direct 4+2 cycloaddition and 2+2 cycloaddition followed by photocatalytic rearrangement of the vinylcyclobutane intermediate.