Visible‐Light‐Induced Bisphosphonium Salt‐Catalyzed Facile Synthesis of Aldehydes and Ketones From Alkylarenes Under Air

Herein, we report an efficient method for the oxidation of simple alkylarenes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones under visible light irradiation, using molecular oxygen from ambient air as the oxidant and bisphosphonium salt as the photoredox catalyst. This protocol obviates the need for additional metal catalysts or additives, thus emerging as a facile and green alternative for the synthesis of such carbonyl compounds. Preliminary substrate exploration demonstrates that this method is compatible with a broad range of functionalized substrates.